Putin unveils new foreign policy of “Russian World” – a term used to justify foreign interventions like the invasion of Ukraine to “support Russian speakers”
- The “humanitarian policy” says Russia should “protect” the ideals of the Russian world.
- It anchors official political ideas surrounding Russian policies that have been used to justify foreign intervention – such as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine
- Ideals of the “Russian world” were used to justify the war in Ukraine, as Putin falsely claimed that Kyiv carried out “genocide” against Russian speakers
President Vladimir Putin has endorsed a new foreign policy doctrine based on the concept of a “Russian world,” a notion that conservative ideologues have used to justify interventions abroad in support of Russian-speaking populations.
The 31-page “Humanitarian Policy,” published more than six months after the start of the war in Ukraine, says Russia should “protect, uphold and promote the traditions and ideals of the Russian world.”
While presented as a kind of soft-power strategy, it entrenches official political ideas surrounding Russian politics and religion, which some hardliners have used to justify foreign intervention — such as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The Russian Federation supports its compatriots living abroad in fulfilling their rights in order to ensure the protection of their interests and the preservation of their Russian cultural identity,” the policy reads.
President Vladimir Putin on Monday endorsed a new foreign policy doctrine based on the concept of a “Russian world,” a notion that conservative ideologues have used to justify interventions abroad in support of Russian-speaking populations
Russia’s relations with its compatriots abroad allowed Russia “to strengthen its image on the international scene as a democratic country striving to create a multipolar world.”
Putin has for years highlighted what he sees as the tragic fate of some 25 million ethnic Russians living outside Russia in newly independent states when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, an event he called a “geopolitical catastrophe.”
Russia continues to view the former Soviet space, from the Baltics to Central Asia, as its legitimate sphere of influence – a notion fiercely opposed by many of these countries, as well as the West.
The ideals of the Russian world were used to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before his invasion, Putin falsely claimed that Kyiv committed “genocide” against the Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.
While presented as a kind of soft-power strategy, it entrenches official political ideas surrounding Russian politics and religion, which some hardliners have used to justify foreign intervention — such as Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Pictured: Firefighters work inside a building destroyed in a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv on Tuesday
The ideals of the Russian world were used to justify Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Before his invasion, Putin falsely claimed that Kyiv committed “genocide” against the Russian-speaking regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Pictured: A Ukrainian soldier walks through a destroyed building near Kharkiv, Ukraine, September 3
Putin also justified the 2014 annexation of Crimea by invoking the concept of a “Russian world,” saying the Russians living there live in a “divided nation.”
The same language has been used by Russian officials in recent months as they debate the Transnistrian region, an unrecognized Moscow-backed strip of land bordering southwestern Ukraine.
Kremlin chief Rustam Minnekayev said in April that Russia is seeking control of southern Ukraine, which could provide access to Transnistria “where there have been instances of oppression of the Russian-speaking population.”
Moldovans and Ukrainians fear Russian forces will launch “false flag” attacks to create a pretext for an invasion of Transnistria.
That is also what Putin’s new foreign policy says Russia should increase cooperation with Slavic nations, China and India, and further strengthen its ties with the Middle East, Latin America and Africa.
Moscow should further deepen its ties with Abkhazia and Ossetia, two Georgian regions recognized as independent by Moscow after its war against Georgia in 2008, as well as with the two breakaway entities in eastern Ukraine, the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic.
