Note: I’m on quasi-vacation for the rest of the month. This series will consist mostly of excerpts from published articles. Except as noted, the following excerpts are from The Concept of the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation, approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation, dated March 31, 2023.

More than a thousand years of independent statehood, the cultural heritage of the preceding era, deep historical ties with the traditional European culture and other Eurasian cultures, and the ability to ensure harmonious coexistence of different peoples, ethnic, religious and linguistic groups on one common territory, which has been developed over many centuries, determine Russia's special position as a unique country-civilization and a vast Eurasian and Euro-Pacific power that brings together the Russian people and other peoples belonging to the cultural and civilizational community of the Russian world.

Russia's place in the world is determined by its significant resources in all areas of living and its status of a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Russia…is one of the sovereign centres of global development performing a historically unique mission aimed at maintaining global balance of power and building a multipolar international system.

Considering the strengthening of Russia as one of the leading centres of development in the modern world and its independent foreign policy as a threat to Western hegemony, the United States of America (USA) and their satellites used the measures taken by the Russian Federation as regards Ukraine to protect its vital interests as a pretext to aggravate the longstanding anti-Russian policy and unleashed a new type of hybrid war. It is aimed at weakening Russia in every possible way…

Russia does not consider itself to be an enemy of the West, is not isolating itself from the West and has no hostile intentions with regard to it …[but] in response to unfriendly actions of the West, Russia intends to defend its right to existence and freedom of development using all means available [my italics].

[It is in the national interest] of the Russian Federation to:

  • consolidate Russia's position as one of the responsible, powerful and independent centres of the modern world.

  • protect abroad, in a comprehensive and effective way, the rights, freedoms and legitimate interests of Russian citizens and entities.

  • develop ties with compatriots living abroad and render them full support in exercising their rights, ensuring protection of their interests and preserving all-Russian cultural identity.

The system of international relations should be multipolar and based on … sovereign equality of states, respect for their right to choose models of development, and social, political and economic order..[and] non-interference in internal affairs.

In order to help adapt the world order to the realities of a multipolar world, the Russian Federation intends to make it a priority to… eliminate the vestiges of domination by the US and other unfriendly states in global affairs [and] counter the attempts to impose pseudo-humanistic or other neo-liberal ideological views, leading to the loss by the humankind of traditional spiritual and moral values and integrity.

Promotion of the concept of a rules-based world order is fraught with the destruction of the international legal system and other dangerous consequences for humanity.

The Russian Federation intends to make it a priority to…improve the mechanism for applying international sanctions, based on the exclusive competence of the UN Security Council to impose such measures. [Note: Russia and China are permanent members of the UN Security Council.]

The inalienable right to self-defense [is] guaranteed by Article 51 of the UN Charter. Russia considers Article 51 of the UN Charter as an adequate and not to be revised legal basis for the use of force in self-defence…by Russia and (or) its allies [including] protecting their citizens abroad. [My italics]

In the event of unfriendly acts by foreign states or their associations threatening the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Russian Federation… the Russian Federation considers it lawful to take the symmetrical and asymmetrical measures necessary to suppress such unfriendly acts and also to prevent them from recurring in future.

[Note: asymmetric tactics “range from guerilla warfare to terrorist attacks to …fanning disinformation, sponsoring non-state actors in Russia’s European neighbourhood and beyond, launching cyberattacks, interfering in the electoral processes of Western countries, and using energy as a weapon" https://www.nato.int/docu/review/articles/2024/04/26/russias-hybrid-war-against-the-west/index.html ].

To be continued…