The Policies of Russia on Internal and External Strategy constantly influence the shaping of military and geopolitical processes that are very important at least for domestic stability and international relations. The further course that this nation took under President Vladimir Putin encompassed an influential interplay of authoritarian governance, economic policy, and military ambitions.
Domestically, Russia has pursued a legal and social environment that is increasingly inhospitable to personal freedoms. A 2023 law severely curtailing transgender rights, combined with the Supreme Court designation of the “international LGBT public movement” as extremist, demonstrates how tightly the government is clamping down on personal freedom. These moves are further underlined by efforts toward increasing birth rates and restricting access to abortions as part of a wider campaign to exert control over societal behavior.
The political development of Russia has shaken off a constant contest between democratic aspirations and authoritarian reality. For Russia, political and economic transformation was certainly an uphill task following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The Constitution of 1993, with its inbuilt bias toward a strong executive, laid the foundation for the system of centralized power that exists today. Under Putin, attention turned to stability through a “strong state,” often at the expense of democratic principles.
The economic policy has at the outset embraced liberal ideas but turned later to state control over the strategic sectors, propelled by high oil prices. While this economic policy has given a fillip to the financial strength of Russia, pervasive corruption and a shadow economy have continued to retard socio-economic development.
The foreign policy of Russia in the international arena has been characterized by assertive moves, not least about Ukraine. The annexation of Crimea in 2014 and further aggression against Ukraine have been part of a broader pattern where foreign policy has been used for internal consolidation. The story of external threats, loudly trumpeted by state media, served to galvanize popular support for the regime.
The consequences of its actions have reached international proportions. In the words of Fiona Hill, the task is how to counter a challenge by Putin’s regime to Ukraine, indeed to the whole world order. The West needs to balance strained relations with countries ambiguously allied with Russia, such as India, while reinforcing alliances with nations such as Japan and South Korea.
Internally, there are some vulnerabilities in Putin’s regime. Isolation and probably dissent are there, camouflaged by a veneer of monolithic support. The Yevgeny Prigozhin affair and the support for figures like Alexei Navalny are symptoms of under-the-surface tensions that will be influential in Russia’s future direction.
In sum, strategic moves in both domestic and foreign policy continue to shape Russia’s military and geopolitical reality. The interactive landscape among authoritarian governance, economic control, and assertive foreign policy is a continuing challenge for global stability and security.