The Foreign Policy of Russia

In the modern era, Russia has asserted that its interests are in finding "partners" committed to pursuing "common interests" rather than allying against any particular country in the world. This statement on Russia's governmental website reveals that Russia is currently seeking to find collaborative solutions in meeting the needs of its people, as well as working with other countries to assist them in building up their own cultures and populations.

Foreign Policy Following World War II

Following World War II, the foreign policy of the Soviet Union was largely shaped by the Soviet Union's efforts to lead through communism. The foreign policy sought to block off certain European countries that held fast to a communist ideology and that collaborated with the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union was part of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, which supported the economy of the Soviet Union at that time. At the time, there were several countries that held hostilities with the Soviet Union. In addition the United States, the Soviet Union cut off ties to Israel in 1955. After the death of Stalin, the Soviet Union sought to restore peaceful relations with Israel.

After the Communist Party ceased to exist, Russia's social landscape underwent major change. About 20 percent of the public achieved greater material prosperity, which allowed them to consequently become more active in public life. These citizens are now more vocal about Russia's economic relations and dependency on the United States for consumer goods. This social change has had an impact on the new multivector foreign policy that has been developed by Russia.

The Modern Pursuit of Multivector Foreign Policy

Russia now abides by a foreign policy that it describes as "multivector" in nature. Ever since Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov called for a "multivector" foreign policy, scholars around the world probed the meaning of the word "multivector." The meaning of the word seems to indicate a reaching toward peace and equality on a global scale. "Multivector" means that Russia seeks to work in conjunction with other world powers to secure a greater good that is intended for all people in the world. International stability is also one of the main endeavors of this multivector foreign policy.

A multivector foreign policy has the power to shape the current global scheme. It is a policy that seeks to create a new world order that is less dependent on the economy of the United States.

As a result of the multivector foreign policy, Russia has withdrawn from agreements that it has with the United States. These agreements include the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. This program provided Russia with financial assistance from the United States, and Russia is no longer in the position to receive this financial assistance from the U.S. after withdrawing from the agreement. There have been other acts of Russia indicating a major separation from the United States, including the abolishment of the U.S. Agency for International Development Assistance and creation of the Magnitsky Law. The Magnitsky Law now involves asserting sanctions against those Russian officials who violate human rights.

Overall, the new Russian multivector foreign policy can be described as one that is global in nature and seeks to create more equality on a global basis.