MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. Russia is a distinct civilization, a bulwark of the Russian World and one of the sovereign centers of global development, which will defend its right for development with all means at its disposal in light of the unfriendly moves by the West, according to the new Russian Foreign Policy Concept that President Vladimir Putin endorsed on Friday.
Moscow views the current US policy as the main source of risks not only for itself, but also for the entire world and intends to eliminate the "vestiges of the dominance" exerted by Washington and its allies. Instead of seeking cooperation with Western countries, Russia is now interested just in peaceful coexistence.
The document states that Russia will build its relations with other countries depending on what policies these countries pursue toward Moscow. It’s ready to utilize its armed forces not only to repel aggression against itself and its allies, but also to prevent such aggression. TASS has put together the highlights of the new doctrine.
Russia’s role in the world
- Russia represents a distinct civilization, and vast Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power and a bulwark of the Russian World. It plays a unique role in maintaining the global balance of power and ensuring the peaceful development of mankind.
- Russia’s relations with other countries and blocs will be determined by the nature of their policy: constructive, neutral or unfriendly.
- The new concept has noticeably revised the assessments of the main trends and prospects of the modern world: It’s now going through "revolutionary," rather than "deep" changes, "elements of crisis phenomena" in the world economy have now turned into a "crisis of economic globalization," and the escalation of competition has turned into a "hybrid war" that the US and its allies wage on Russia.
National interest and strategic goals
- The new concept added a separate chapter dedicated to Russian national interests, strategic goals and main objectives.
- National interests include, for example, the protection of the constitutional order, sovereignty and integrity of the country from "destructive foreign influence," citizens and organizations from "foreign unlawful encroachments," and society as a whole from "media and psychological influence" from abroad.
- The document identifies three strategic goals of foreign policy: ensuring Russia's security, creating favorable external conditions for its development and strengthening its position as one of the centers of the modern world. Previously, they were listed as some of the main tasks.
Security strategy
- Russia may use its armed forces to defend or prevent attacks on itself or its allies, resolve crises (including by decision of "collective security organizations, where Russia is a member, within their area of responsibility"), protect its citizens abroad, and combat international terrorism and piracy. The 2016 concept lacked this item.
- It will provide assistance to its allies and partners, regardless of their international status.
- Russia reserves the right to symmetrical and asymmetric measures in response to "unfriendly actions that pose a threat to its sovereignty and territorial integrity," including sanctions.
- Moscow seeks to ensure equal security for all countries, but only on the basis of the principle of reciprocity. The previous concept, adopted in 2016, did not talk about reciprocity, but noted the importance of the OSCE as a mechanism for building a system of pan-European security.
- Russia will accelerate the process of international legal formalization of its borders.
- Moscow intends to increase its role in the peacekeeping activities of the UN and the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
International relations
- Russia aspires to a system of international relations that will protect the identity and equal conditions of development for all countries and the expansion of the participation of developing countries in the world economy.
- Moscow supports international efforts to protect "universal and traditional spiritual and moral values." This is a new term: The previous concept mentioned just the need to shape up "underlying values" based, among other things, on the potential of the main world religions.
- The development of international law must take into account the realities of a multipolar world. At the same time, Moscow will resist attempts to revise the principles of international law.
- Russia considers it the priority of its humanitarian policy to counter Russophobia, protect the Russian language, culture, sports, the Russian Orthodox Church, and the struggle for historical truth.
- Moscow also intends to restore the role of the UN as a key mechanism in coordinating the interests of its member countries.
Relations with the West
- Russia does not consider itself an enemy of the West and is not seeking to isolated itself from it. It hopes that Western countries will realize the futility of the conflict with Moscow and accept multipolarity.
- At the same time, Russia’s priority will be to eliminate the "vestiges of dominance" of the United States and other unfriendly states in world affairs, reduce their opportunities to abuse their position in the economy, and create conditions for any country to abandon neocolonial and hegemonic ambitions.
- Moscow considers Washington's policy to be the main source of risks for its own and international security, for peace and the just development of mankind as a whole. Russia is no longer interested in "building mutually beneficial relations" with the United States, but only in "peaceful coexistence" and "establishing a balance of interests."
- The new concept introduces the notion of "Anglo-Saxon countries". Relations with them will be built "depending on the degree of their readiness to abandon the unfriendly policy towards Russia and respect its legitimate interests."
- Most European countries are pursuing an "aggressive policy" against Russia. Moscow is interested in a new model of coexistence with them, taking into account geographical proximity and historical ties, and sees the US as the main factor complicating the normalization of relations.
- Abandoning the anti-Russian policy and gaining independence from the United States would favorably affect the security and well-being of Europe.
Relations with the world
- Eurasia should become a space of peace, stability, trust and prosperity interconnected by transport corridors, and this is Russia's flagship project in the 21st century.
- The main goal in the near abroad (this concept was not present in the concept of 2016) is to turn the region into an area of peace, good-neighborliness and prosperity. Moscow intends to resolve conflicts there and prevent color revolutions, as well as to resist the deployment of military infrastructure of unfriendly states in these countries.
- While the previous concept declared Russia's interest in developing relations with Ukraine and resolving the internal Ukrainian conflict, the new document does not mention Ukraine at all, except talking about the "Ukrainian direction" where Russia is protecting its vital interests.
- Russia believes it’s of particular importance to deepen ties with friendly global centers of power: India and China.
- Moscow will also help Africa to emerge as an influential center of world development and increase cooperation with Latin America (with Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua being named specifically). There, as well as in the Middle and Far East, Russia will support integration processes.
- Russia will strengthen comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation with the friendly Islamic civilization, in particular with Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Turkey.