Russia’s New Foreign Policy Doctrine: The West as the Enemy, Russia as the Victim

Russia has adopted a new foreign policy doctrine that declares the West an “existential” threat. It is important to reduce the dominance of the USA and other countries – apparently also through preventive measures.

When the Russian Security Council meets once a week in Moscow – a good dozen top politicians and heads of the secret service – viewers of Russian state television usually only get around 30 seconds of introductory words from President Vladimir Putin, the rest remains secret.

Today’s big exception: ten minutes were broadcast by this body, which advises the President on security, defense and foreign policy issues. There was important news for the latter:

Russia sees itself as a victim

What President Putin described as updating and adapting to today’s geopolitical realities differs markedly from the previous foreign policy doctrine of 2016.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov added that this was necessary because radical changes on the foreign policy scene had visibly accelerated since the start of the “special military operation”. What is meant are significantly changed international relations with Russia since the war of aggression against Ukraine was waged. But Russia doesn’t see itself as a perpetrator, but as a victim.

“We see that the actions of unfriendly states pose an existential threat to our security and development.” The United States of America can be directly named as the main initiator and promoter of the anti-Russian line. “We generally describe the Western policy aimed at the total weakening of Russia as a new type of hybrid warfare.”

Moscow complains of alleged Russophobia

The “unfriendly states” mentioned include dozens of countries and, in addition to the USA, Poland, Great Britain – and Germany. Again very undiplomatic for a foreign minister, Lavrov warned that anti-Russian efforts by unfriendly states would be fought consistently and, if necessary, with all severity.

“The concept provides for the possibility of taking symmetric and asymmetric actions in response to hostile actions against Russia.” Russian forces can be used to repel or prevent an armed attack on Russia and its allies, Lavrov said.

This harmless-sounding “prevention” of an armed attack is likely to cause great concern beyond Russia’s borders, as it sounds like a threat of preventive action. Acting in the Ukraine in 2014 could serve as a screenplay.

The fight against an alleged Russophobia is also part of the new doctrine: the strengthening of the Russian language in the world and the depoliticization of sport. With the latter, Russia is trying to soften the sanctions and restrictions on international sporting events that were imposed after the war began.

Moscow sees the USA as the instigator

Russia rejects a dominance of the USA and the West, especially since the USA is the instigator, organizer and executor of the aggressive anti-Russian policy of the collective West. That’s what the doctrine says. And also that the USA is the “source of the greatest risks to the security of Russia, to peace in the world and to a just and sustainable development of mankind”.

Alternatively, Russia is striving for a multipolar world order and names China, India, the ASEAN states, the countries of the Islamic world, the African continent, Latin America and the Caribbean as strategic partners.

Putin signs decree for doctrine

“We are not isolating ourselves from the Anglo-Saxon countries and continental Europe, we have no hostile intentions,” said Foreign Minister Lavrov. “However, they should be aware that a pragmatic engagement with Russia is only possible if they recognize the futility of their policy of confrontation and also reject this policy in practice.”

Russia’s new foreign policy strategy was not only presented today in the Russian Security Council and the full text was published on the Kremlin’s website, but – according to President Putin: “Today I signed a decree approving the updated foreign policy concept of the Russian Federation. “