AFANASYEVA E.V., BITIEVA Z.R. Russia's Foreign Policy During the Presidency of Vladimir Putin

DOI 10.35775/PSI.2020.34.4.002

E.V. AFANASYEVA Candidate of Sciences (history), Associate Professor, Institute of world civilizations, Moscow, Russia

Z.R. BITIEVA Candidate of Sciences(political sciences), Head of the Department of world civilizations and world politics, Institute of world civilizations, Moscow, Russia

RUSSIA'S FOREIGN POLICY DURING THE PRESIDENCY OF VLADIMIR PUTIN

In this article, the authors consider the changes in the political life of Russia, its transformation during the presidency of Vladimir Putin. It was during this period that the Concept of Russia's foreign policy was adopted and significant measures were taken to restore Russia as a strong power. At the same time, the authors provide a comparative analysis of the Concepts of 2000 and 2016, demonstrating the process of transformation of international relations.

Key words: foreign policy, Russia, Putin, President, international relations.

With the election of Vladimir Putin President of the Russian Federation in 2000, the country's foreign policy has undergone major changes that reflect the President’s general policy. First of all, it is necessary to mention the approval of the Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation. The main vector in the President's policy, in accordance with this document, is aimed at establishing Russia as an active player on the international arena. “This is necessary to maintain the proper image of the country.” The main goal of the President's foreign policy is to ensure security, influence international processes to create favorable external conditions, form a belt of good neighborliness along the country's borders, and search for compromises with foreign countries [6]. In connection with the changing political situation in the world and the actualization of Russia's foreign policy directions in 2016, the President issued a Decree on the entry into force of a new foreign policy doctrine. Thus, since November 30, 2016, a new Concept has been in effect in Russia. Events that have occurred in the world in recent years, affecting, in particular, Russia, such as the crisis situation in Ukraine after Euromaidan, the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions and counter-sanctions, as well as the activities in the Middle East of the “Islamic state,” banned in the Russian Federation, undoubtedly affected the country's foreign policy. Therefore, significant changes, sometimes even contradictory ones appeared in the new foreign policy doctrine. Special attention deserves for example paragraph 8 of Chapter 2 of the document [4]. The 2013 Concept stated that world politics alongside with military might is influenced by economic, technological, information and legal factors. Point 8 of the new Doctrine tells us that their use for the purpose of realizing geopolitical interests makes it difficult to reach agreement and resolve conflicts peacefully. Significant changes have also occurred in the economic sphere. Great importance is given to the role of open trade relations, the current trend towards collective regulation, which is relevant for the existing trade and monetary and financial systems.

Of course, the Concept of 2016 pays special attention to today international problems, expanding their scope to cyberspace. Paragraph 14 emphasizes that “The growing threat of international terrorism is one of the most dangerous realities in today’s world. " [1]. Russia calls on all countries to unite in the fight against global danger, to unite in an international coalition that will cooperate on the basis of a “solid legal basis.” Russia's desire to resolve the problems in the Middle East is also confirmed in paragraph 93 of the Concept, which refers to the settlement of the Syrian conflict on the basis of the Geneva communiqué of June 30, 2012. The Russian Federation opposes artificial politicization of environmental issues. Significant changes have been made to the Chapter on information support for foreign policy activities, which focuses on the cooperation of the Russian expert community with foreign colleagues in the assessment of world politics and international security. The new Concept also gives preference to regional priorities of the State, much attention is paid to the strengthening of relations with Belarus, and in general, to the cooperation with the EAEU countries. However, with regard to Ukraine, Russia is aimed at strengthening ties between the two States in various areas and is ready to help resolve the internal conflict in Ukraine, in cooperation with international organizations involved in this issue. The position of NATO and EU member States towards Russia is criticized. The policy of these countries contradicts cooperation, which is extremely needed in the current situation, complicated by international threats. However, trade and economic relations with the EU are seen as “important” and mutually beneficial, and the EU is seen as a “major partner” in this area. Russia declares that it does not recognize the activities of the United States that go beyond the framework of international law and considers the American missile defense system as a threat to its national security. In order to achieve the set goals in foreign policy, Vladimir Vladimirovich has made a lot of efforts: he participated in all major summits, including the G-8 summits, where the heads of industrialized countries take part.

After being elected Head of state for a second term, Vladimir Putin also continued to actively develop Russia's foreign policy. In 2004, Putin arrived in China on an official visit, during which an agreement was signed on the transfer of Tarabarov Island and the Great Ussuri Island. Here, we would like to draw your attention to the history and territorial dispute between our country and China. Until 1858, these territories were so to say “neutral territory,” at that time it suited both States [5]. The Treaty of Peking of 1860 finally secured Russia’s ownership of the Ussuri Territory, but the Treaty avoided the question of ownership of the Islands. Thus, Russia and China did not define a clear border on the Amur for various reasons for more than 100 years, from 1860 to 1990. However, the problems began with the death of Joseph Stalin and the rise to power in the USSR of Khrushchev, whose short-sighted policy initiated the border problem with China, defining our geopolitical defeat in the early 1990s, turning the PRC from friendship and cooperation with the USSR to the United States. During the Gorbachev's time, an agreement on the Soviet-Chinese border was signed in 1991, according to which, the border on the Amur should pass along the main channel of the river, that is, many Islands that were previously controlled by the USSR turned out to be Chinese territory. In such a complex geopolitical situation, Vladimir Putin signed border treaties, finally settling the border issue, thereby avoiding territorial disputes, which could in turn lead to a Russian-Chinese war, which could have played right into the hands of the United States [3].

One of the President’s main successes in foreign policy was the salvation of Syria, the fight against terrorism and the elimination of those forces that could come to the North Caucasus with the black banner. In addition, the purpose of such actions on the part of Russia was to maintain the legitimate authorities of this country, preserve its territorial integrity, and provide humanitarian assistance to the population. All this has only strengthened Russia's position in the Middle East and on the international arena [9].

After the end of Putin's second term as president, the country finally departed from the course of the former head of state Boris Yeltsin. Everyone is well aware of Vladimir Putin's Munich speech at a conference on politics and security in 2007, which has many times been quoted by all the world's media.

In his speech, the President focused on the following theses:

1. In international relations, there can be no unipolar model of the world order.

2. The US imposes its policy on the whole world.

3. All issues regarding military intervention should be resolved only in the UN.

4. The United States and the American President are waging aggressive policy.

5. NATO does not comply with international agreements.

6. The OSCE has become a convenient tool used in the interests of the Northern Alliance.

7. Russia will continue to conduct foreign policy only in its own interests [8].

These theses clearly reflect the course of the leader of the Russian Federation in foreign policy, and despite such loud statements by Vladimir Putin, the leaders of many countries have supported him. However, most of the world's politicians saw Putin as an aggressive political figure and did not agree with his speech.

We would like to say a few words about Russia's domestic policy. Here, too, there have been significant changes that affect the country's foreign policy as a whole, primarily strengthening the army: the purchase of modern equipment and weapons and army reform. After the terrible tragedy in 2004 at school No. 1 in Beslan, where there was a terrorist attack that killed more than 1,000 people, most of them children (one of the authors was an eyewitness, because he is a native there), the procedure for the election of governors in the regions and deputies to the State Duma was changed. As a result, the Head of state took responsibility for the activities of the governors and all the consequences. At the same time, the Public Chamber appeared which increased the powers of people's deputies in the State Duma [2. Pp. 15-21].

And of course, as a huge merit of the President of the country, we would like to mention the restoration of historical justice and legal (i.e. by way that does not contradict international law) return of Crimea to the Russian Federation, which, as we well know, was illegally appropriated by the Ukrainian authorities after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Ukraine took advantage of the political crisis in Russia and later on tried to “legislatively” secure the city of Sevastopol and Crimea, writing in its Constitution of 1996, that the issue of changing the territory of Ukraine shall be resolved through an all-Ukrainian national referendum, but this provision shall not apply to the territories acquired unconstitutionally [7. P. 132].

At the same time, it would not hurt to ask the Ukrainian lawmakers: why they appropriated Sevastopol and Crimea without holding an all-Russian referendum on this issue, as required by the Russian Constitution? The answer is obvious: it was beneficial to the Ukrainian authorities.

Summing up, we would like to note that Vladimir Putin became the head of Russia with its complex historical past, huge territory, multi-ethnic and multi-religious state, at a time when it had a number of economic, social and political problems that need resolution. Today, the rating of the head of state is over 80%, people trust him.

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2. Dmitrieva J.V. The problem of realization of principle of separation of powers in modern Russia. In the collected works: Legal forum Intercollegiate collection of scientific papers. Moscow, 2016.

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6. "The Constitution of the Russian Federation" (adopted by popular vote 12.12.1993) (as amended by the Laws of the Russian Federation on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation No. 6-FKZ of 30.12.2008, No.7-FKZ of 30.12.2008, No. 2-FKZ of 05.02.2014, No. 11-FCL of 21.07.2014 [«Konstitutsiya Rossiyskoy Federatsii» (prinyata vsenarodnym golosovaniyem 12.12.1993) (s uchetom popravok, vnesennykh Zakonami RF o popravkakh k Konstitutsii RF ot 30.12.2008 № 6-FKZ, ot 30.12.2008 № 7-FKZ, ot 05.02.2014 № 2-FKZ, ot 21.07.2014 № 11-FKZ] (In Russ.).

7. Tomsinov V.А. "Crimean law", or Legal grounds for the reunification of Crimea with Russia. Electron. Text data [«Krymskoye pravo», ili Yuridicheskiye osnovaniya vossoyedineniya Kryma s Rossiyey. Elektron. tekstovyye dannyye]. M.: Zertsalo-М, 2017 (In Russ.).

8. Vladimir Putin's Munich speech of February 10, 2007. Verbatim. Full text [Myunkhenskaya rech' Vladimira Putina 10 fevralya 2007 goda. Stenogramma. Polnyy tekst] // https://introvertum.com/myunhenskaya-rech-vladimira-putina-10-fevralya-2007-goda-stenogramma-polnyiy-tekst/ (In Russ.).

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