Putin Doctrine

   Foreign relations doctrine. Strongly influenced by the multidirectional foreign policy of Yeltsin-era politician Yevgeny Primakov, Vladimir Putin reoriented Russian foreign policy away from its Atlanticist approach of the early 1990s and toward more developed relations with Arab and Asian states, especially China. Furthermore, it stressed a number of goals beyond traditional security concerns, including the establishment of conditions favorable to Russia’s economic growth; the creation of a belt of friendly states along Russia’s perimeter; the comprehensive protection of the human rights and interests of Russian citizens and co-nationals abroad; and the promotion and support of the Russian language and culture in foreign countries. It appears that Dmitry Medvyedev will continue in his predecessor’s footsteps. In his first visit abroad as the newly elected president, Medvyedev abandoned established protocol, which demanded an inaugural call on Berlin, and used his maiden foreign trip to visit Kazakhstan and China, one month before visiting Russia’s principal European partner, Germany.