In practical terms the new strategy means that Russia will keep its nuclear forces at a high degree of readiness, while continuing with its military reform, which will see Russian troop numbers reduced and transformed into an instrument of solving regional conflicts.

At the same time the document, which was published on the national Security Council’s website, says Russia’s relations with the US have a key influence on the global situation and calls on building a strategic partnership based on mutual interests. Russia will seek confidence-building, strategic disarmament, the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, joint anti-terrorism efforts and partnership in solving regional conflicts.

The new national strategy dismisses NATO’s expansion plans and ‘attempts to assume global functions’ as unacceptable to Russia. It says the relations with the North-Atlantic alliance will be determined by its willingness to “take into account Russia’s lawful interests,” “to respect international law” and its reform, which will help the bloc find a new mission and humanitarian functions.

Competition for natural resources is bound to grow while the benefits of globalization are distributed unfairly among nations, which will increase tension. According to the new strategy, key regions of conflict will be the energy-rich Middle East, the Arctic, the Caspian Sea and Central Asia. The tension may escalate into open wars near the borders of Russia and its allies.

The document says Russia will modernize its border troops to be prepared for possible military conflicts and to prevent crimes like trafficking of drugs, weapons and human beings, smuggling and poaching. Borders with Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan as well as regions of the Arctic, the Caspian Sea and the Far East require special attention.

On the economic side, the main challenges are the export nature of Russia’s industry, its overt dependence on global markets, labor inefficiency, vulnerable financial system and corruption. The document suggests focusing on state-private partnership in key industries, support high-tech projects, facilitate trade for Russian producers and fight corruption. The goal is to become the fifth country in the world in terms of GDP.

Among other threats to Russia’s national security the strategy names: global financial crises, which “may have a devastating effect comparable to the large-scale use of military force”; terrorism and extremism; social injustice; epidemics and socially dangerous decease like tuberculosis; a lack of domestically produced food and medicine; the industrial impact on Russia’s environment, and cybercrime.

National Security Strategy 2020

The document outlining Russia’s policy in security until 2020 replaces the 1997 paper, which was outdated, according to many experts. The work on it started in September 2008, shortly after the conflict in South Ossetia, and was finished by the end of March this year. Some media speculated that the signing of the document was postponed until Dmitry Medvedev’s meeting with Barack Obama in April and said the ‘anti-American’ statements in it may have been changed after it.

One of the key differences of the new strategy is the list of indicators, which are to show how secure Russia is. These include the unemployment level, inflation, the disproportion of people’s incomes, national debt and others.