Dmitry Medvedev revealed more about his philosophy and approach to governing this week, in a series of speeches in Berlin and in St. Petersburg. He says globalisation is here to stay; the U.S. has misplaced economic ambitions; and Russia is playing a key
Medvedev told the 12th International Economic Forum in St. Petersburg that “Atlanticism as a unique principle” was “a thing of the past”. Russia’s president says America’s aggressive economic policies have pulled a vast amount of people in the world into poverty. He says although the U.S. is pretending to manage the world economy, it is not capable of managing the global credit crisis. “It is an illusion that one country, even the most powerful, can act as a global government,” Medvedev said. “No matter how large the American market may be, and no matter how reliable the American financial system is, there is no substitute for global goods and financial markets.” Globalisation was among the key issues Dmitry Medvedev touched upon. “Today, we don't have a choice – whether to live in a global world or not. The modern world is global. This means any political mistakes made by certain countries, as well as national selfishness, have an immediate effect on the whole global economy,” he said. As for the role of Russia, Medvedev says it will be one of the world’s leading countries. Russia has “come back from the cold”, he said, quoting John Le Carre. “It returned after more than 100 years of isolation and self-isolation”, he said. “And now it's making its way back into global politics and the world economy – with all its natural, financial and intellectual resources,” the President said. Medvedev also spoke about Russia’s further development. Among the key goals of Russia’s economy he has named innovation and the improvement of the “quality of economy” that first and foremost includes the re-organisation of the “social structure of Russian society.” As for reaction to President Medvedev’s speeches, there was a full variety of them. Some called them tough; however, others considered him to be liberal. There were those who considered him a person of a new generation having no prior links to the USSR other than a place of birth.