Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a new foreign policy doctrine based on the concept of the “Russian world”. Russia should “protect, preserve and promote the traditions and ideals of the Russian world,” according to the 31-page document published on Monday and reported by the Reuters agency.
“The Russian Federation supports its compatriots living abroad in enforcing their rights in order to ensure the protection of their interests and the preservation of their Russian cultural identity.”
The concept of the “Russian world” has been used by conservatives to justify action abroad in support of Russian-speaking groups. Putin has repeatedly referred to the approximately 25 million Russians who found themselves in the independent states that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. The government in Moscow regards the former Soviet states from the Baltic States to Central Asia as part of a sphere of influence. Many of these countries, as well as the West, reject this.
Russia is buying artillery from North Korea, according to US intelligence. The Russian income from the sale of energy probably exceeds the costs of the war. And: The situation at the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant remains uncertain. What happened at night in the war against Ukraine.
According to US media reports, Russia is said to have received combat drones from Iran for military support in the Ukraine war. But there are indications that the Russians are not satisfied with the drones that have been delivered. During tests, there are said to have been numerous errors with the comparatively slow drones.
According to military expert Carlo Masala, the Ukraine war could last into next year. Ex-CIA chief David Petraeus is optimistic about Ukraine’s chances of success – but he still has his doubts. All voices and developments on the Ukraine war here in the ticker.
