End US, West world hegemony: Russia's new foreign policy doctrine

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
31 Mar 2023 16:52

The new foreign strategy says Russia is responsible for defending cultural and spiritual values against "pseudo-humanistic" and other "neoliberal ideologies".

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Russia in February 2022. (Reuters)

Russia adopted a new foreign policy doctrine on Friday that prioritizes reforming world politics away from the hegemony of the United States and its Western allies and supporting countries that choose to fight neocolonialists and foreign interference.

The new foreign strategy went into effect after being signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"The Russian Federation intends to give priority to the elimination of vestiges of the dominance of the United States and other unfriendly countries in world politics," the document said.

Russia would aim to "create the conditions for any state to reject neo-colonialist and hegemonic aims," the 42-page policy read.

"Radical changes" in the world prompted the new policies, Putin said during a security council meeting, stressing that Russia's engagement in the international arena must reflect its view on these changes.

Defender against neo-liberal ideologies

Russia views China and India as key allies in its new foreign doctrine and stresses the strategic importance of deepening relations and "coordination with friendly sovereign global centers of power and development located on the Eurasian continent."

The war in Ukraine led to severe sanctions by the US and EU who lobbied countries around the world to join in on the unilateral sanctions, but many countries, including China and India, increased economic and bilateral relations with Moscow, reaching historic levels.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made a three-day official trip to Moscow earlier this month where he met with Putin and held what was described by the media as historic talks. The two presidents signed during Xi's trip two joint strategic documents aiming to boost the two global powers' economic and diplomatic partnership.

Russia, as per the document, is a "state civilization" and is responsible for protecting the "Russian world" - in reference to cultures that align with that of the country within Eurasia. Russia will be tasked with protecting "traditional spiritual and moral values" against "pseudo-humanistic and other neo-liberal ideological attitudes."

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the new foreign policy doctrine identified "the existential nature of threats to the security and development of our country, driven by the actions of unfriendly states."

"The United States of America is directly named as the main instigator and driver of anti-Russian sentiment," he added.

"The West's policy of trying to weaken Russia in every possible way is characterized as a hybrid war of a new type."