Monday, September 01, 2008

Russia’s Five Principles

The BBC takes a look at Russia’s new “Five Principles.”

In the aftermath of the Georgian conflict, the Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has laid down five principles that he says will guide Russian foreign policy.

The new Moscow rules are not a blueprint for a new “Cold War”. That was a worldwide ideological and economic struggle. This is much more about defending national interests.

The principles, with their references to “privileged interests” and the protection of Russian citizens, would probably seem rather obvious to Russian leaders of the 19th Century. They would seem rather mild to Stalin and his successors, who saw the Soviet Union extending communism across the globe.

In some ways, we are going back to the century before last, with a nationalistic Russia very much looking out for its own interests, but open to co-operation with the outside world on issues where it is willing to be flexible.

(2) Comments
Posted by Owen at 1006 hrs
Foreign Affairs

  1. Thanks for this latest information on “Russia’s Five Principles”......:D

    Posted by Lotus Notes CRM on September 01, 2008 at 1217 hrs


  2. On the face of it, these all seem fairly reasonable for a country that’s been invaded as many times as Russia. The Russians have long memories; hell, they’re still pissed off about Napoleon, never mind Hitler.

    That’s why those missile bases in Poland are such a stupid idea. Anyone with a lick of historical sense would never even have suggested such a thing. And NATO membership for the Ukraine? Are we just deliberately trying to piss off the only other country with thousands of nuclear weapons?

    The analysis is right; these principles aren’t a blueprint for a new Cold War. Continuing to poke the Russians in the eye, on the other hand, most certainly is.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on September 01, 2008 at 1604 hrs


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