Russian strategy and geo-political
interests: basics and new elements
The basics of the Russian geopolitical
strategy don’t changed 500 years. The significance of the ports
on the Black Sea, control of the territories in Eastern
Europe and Asia. Today stretched geopolitical interests of the
Russian Federation are towards the CIS states, Central and Eastern
Europe, the Black Sea and the Asia-Pacific region1. Like
in the times of the Peter the Great the main Russian Federation’s
goal after the collapse of the USSR stills to bring back a control
into strategic important regions of the former Soviet Union:
Baltic region, Caucasus, Ukraine and East Europe. The control on
these regions is from the Russian point of view a guaranty of
the security of its national interests. Every military
involvement of the Western countries is explanting as a danger to
national interests of Russia.
The central goals of Russian foreign
policy were and are also (fully) re-establishing Russian economic
potential and preventing disintegration of the state, and, as
a result, promoting the re-emerging of the state’s
international status. In other words, a healthy and strong economy
with defensive military muscles2. The Russian
Federation stretched toward more influence on the international
economics and policy. The Russian policy maker see in enhancing of
the economic potential a mechanism of political influence,
kind of``economic instrument of national power``.
The CIS regions are considered by
Russia to be areas of vital national interest and the Russian
Federation will control of transnational transportation networks,
which are one of the most vital conditions for Russia’s
economic prosperity3. Ukraine has an important role
in Russian foreign and economic policy. Ukraine is a bridge to
the European Union and on relationship with Ukraine depends income
of Russian natural resources business with Europe.
The current Russian strategy focuses on
strategic presence and prestige and so the need to re-asset Russian
Great Power. One of the central principles of the Russian strategy
is ``sovereign democracy``, which offers stability,
asustainable future and independent foreign policy, promoting
Russian states interest and upholding Russian identity,
representing in values, political and strategic culture4.
The National Security Concept of
the Russian Federation provides a framework and context within
which all other foreign and security doctrines, concepts and
guidelines fall5. The document defines national
interests in the internal politics, society, military boarders
and others fields of social and political life.
The Military Doctrine of the Russian
Federation makes more concrete the military directives of the Concept
and addresses internal and external military threats6.
Russia is able to use military forces not in order to neutralize
direct threat, but in order to stop political acts, which
could be explained as anti-Russian policy, and the policy against
Russian minorities. A readiness to employ military forces against
political activities as a basis of legitimacy of using of military
power in the local conflicts in the states of the former
USSR. The support of pro-Russian forces in Ukraine bases on
that capstone of Russian military strategy.
(...)
1 Isakova, I., (2013),
Russian Governance in 21 st Century: Geo-Strategy, geopolitics and
governance (New York: Taylor & Francis Group), p. 25
2 Ibid, p. 31
3 Isakova, I., (2013),
Russian Governance in 21 st Century: Geo-Strategy, geopolitics and
governance (New York: Taylor & Francis Group), p. 24
4 Herd ,G. ``Security
Strategy: Sovereign democracy and Great Power Aspirations`` in
Galeotti M. (ed.), (2013),The Politics of Security in Modern Russia
(Surey: Ashgate Publishing Ltd), S. 25-26
5 Ibid, p. 27
6 Ibid, p. 27
veröffentlicht unter Strategie
