In its new Foreign Policy strategy adopted last Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has identified India and China as its main allies on the world stage. Russia periodically brings out its ‘Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation’. Its earlier versions were issued in 2000, 2008, 2013 and 2016. The Foreign Policy Concept of 2023 assumes significance because it came out in the middle of the Russia-Ukraine war. The Concept, however, is largely silent on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
The new Russian Foreign Policy strategy has highlighted the significance of “the deepening of ties and coordination with friendly sovereign global centres of power and development located on the Eurasian continent.” The new anti-west strategy came a day after European nation Finland cleared the last hurdle to become a member of NATO. With a view to enhance and to expand its cooperation in all areas on a mutually beneficial basis, Russia has stated that it will continue to build up a special privileged strategic partnership with India.
China and India as new centres of power
President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit India twice this year – he is likely to participate in the SCO Summit and later the G20 Summit later this year. India is holding the presidencies of both groupings.
“From Moscow’s perspective, the world is undergoing a tremendous economic and technological transformation. The world is clearly becoming multipolar. New centres of power are emerging, and two countries in particular, China and India, are likely to play much bigger roles in the future. These two countries have been specifically mentioned in the document. The document carefully mentions a ‘comprehensive’ partnership with China and a ‘special privileged partnership’ with India. The document deliberately avoided terms that could have been interpreted as privileging one country over the other. With China, Russia wants to strengthen partnerships at the ‘global level’, whereas, with India, the focus is on bilateral economic ties, investment and connectivity. Moscow recognises the importance of these states in global stability,” explains Prof Rajan Kumar, School of International Studies, JNU.
Critical of the West
The tone of the document is clearly anti-West. It accuses the West of provocation and jeopardising its security in the neighbourhood. The document underlines Russia’s special position as ‘a unique country-civilization and a vast Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power’. It accuses the West, especially the United States, of attempts at ‘weakening Russia in every possible way, including at undermining its constructive civilisational role, power, economic and technological capabilities, limiting its sovereignty in foreign and domestic policy, violating its territorial integrity’. The Western neoliberal values are antithetical to Russian traditional and spiritual values. The West uses neoliberalism as an instrument to ensure its dominance and infringe on the sovereign rights of other states. Neoliberalism has promoted a kind of neo-colonialism.
Russia as a Eurasian state
According to Prof Rajan, “Eurasianism is often used to underline Russia’s special geographical and political location between Europe and Asia. Putin has given the Eurasian tilt to Russia’s foreign policy which oscillates between ‘westernisers’ and the ‘Eurasianists’. The document treats Russia as a Eurasian state and aims to integrate the Eurasian space through connectivity, multilateral organisations and economic interaction. It mentions the role of the SCO, the Eurasian Union and the CSTO in the integration process. It also acknowledges the role of the BRI in the greater Eurasian space.”
Silent on Nuclear Concerns
The document does not specifically mention Russia’s nuclear strategy. It treats Russia as a leading nuclear state but is largely silent on the proliferation and testing issues. Russia’s recent decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has raised concerns in the West about the possible proliferation, but not much can be derived from this document. “Russia is willing to negotiate with other powers on the issue of the arms race and proliferation. However, the Russia-Ukraine war has put an end to nuclear negotiations between Russia and the US. Russia and China have stopped sharing nuclear information with the United States. The existing nuclear regimes might collapse if the US and Russia do not take urgent actions on these issues,” Prof Rajan adds.
UN and International Law
The document reiterates Moscow’s continued support of the United Nations as the key organisation for global peace and stability. It also affirms its commitment to international law and regimes. However, it is critical of the neoliberal policies, which run counter to Russian traditional and spiritual values.
In essence, the document reflects Russia’s worldview, which borrows heavily from its traditional Slavic values and the past superpower status. It demonstrates its desire to forge partnerships with emerging powers and remain firm under Western pressure. “It is willing to improve its ties with the West, provided the latter respects Russia’s security and political concerns. Nevertheless, given the chasm between the West and Russia, it would take years before ‘normal ties’ are re-established between the two,” opines Prof Rajan.