RUSSIAN FEDERATION and her main security concerns

RUSSIAN FEDERATION and her main security concerns

The vastness of the Russian Federation is enormous and this nation is clearly Eurasian in terms of landmass and ethnicity. Therefore, the security concerns of this nation is also vast and complex. In recent times the leaders of this nation have been worried about both NATO expansion and the rise of radical Islam in parts of southern Russia. However, other major concerns also exist, therefore, what are the main security concerns for the Russian Federation?

One major internal concern applies to the rise of radical Islam in parts of Southern Russia and in other parts of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). In the 1990s a lot of special attention was put on Chechnya and the surrounding region. The bloody civil war which erupted in Chechnya was clear evidence that this was a genuine threat because the green flag of Islam was raised. This rebellion led to many deaths and the military armed forces of the Russian Federation were clearly tested. To make matters worse, Chechen Islamists also used terrorism in order to threaten the Russian Federation and they spread their version of Sunni Islam to other parts of southern Russia.

Also, in Tajikistan, the green flag of Islam challenged the central government and this naiton only survived because of the role of the Russian Federation and combined forces of the CIS. While other nations, notably Uzbekistan, have had serious problems with radical Islam, therefore, the leaders of the Russian Federation clearly understand the importance of unity within the CIS.

Given this, the armed forces of the Russian Federation have to be prepared at all times.
A completely different threat comes from NATO and this organization desires to expand throughout the geographic space and influence of the Russian Federation. Therefore, ex President, Vladimir Putin, was often at loggerheads with NATO and he demanded a stop to NATO expansion. Therefore, Vladimir Putin, and now the new leader, Medvedev, are trying to keep both the Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO. Also, the Russian Federation is worried about nations within Central Asia and they are seriously worried about the intentions of America in this strategic region.

One major area of success, however, is Russia`s advancement in Asia and this applies to very strong ties with China, India, and Iran, respectively; and of course the same applies to strong relations with all the Asian nations which belong to the CIS. In the past relations were extremely cordial with India during the Soviet Union period and today the same applies since the demise of the Soviet Union. However, relations with China have reached new heights and President Medvedev also made a point of visiting China rather than any other major global power.

Therefore, the Asian borderlands with diverse nations is relatively stable because of cordial relations and this means that the Russian Federation can focus on other strategic regions. Also, the role of Russia`s military equipment and technology is the cornerstone of both the armed forces of China and India. Of course this will be reduced in the future, however, ties and military sales will still be potent. Another binding card is the need to stop or prevent American hegemony, therefore, China, India, and the Russian Federation have a lot to gain from strong military and political ties.

Another recent major factor applies to energy politics because the Russian Federation is increasing her regional power via energy. Also, the European Union, and nations like Germany, understand the importance of Russia`s influence. Given this, the Russian Federation have enticed Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia, to agree to an alternative energy pipeline and this in turn will strengthen the power of the Russian Federation. The European Union also understands the importance of energy politics and this issue is certain to be raised many times in the future.

Energy politics is also important in Asia and within the next 20 years Northeast Asia will get at least 30% of all energy supplies from the Russian Federation. So it is clear that the influence of this nation is increasing and it will continue to do so in the near future. Other nations, notably America and Japan, must understand that times are changing and it is better to work alongside the Russian Federation rather than always being hostile or passive, at best.

Overall, the Russian Federation is now going to focus on modernizing her armed forces because of the oil and gas boom. At the same time, the Russian Federation is using energy in order to boost international influence. Another major are of growth applies to relations with India and China, and the Shanghai 6 and CIS organizations also strengthen Russia`s influence throughout Central Asia. Of course negative areas remain, notably radical Islam in southern Russia, relations with America, demographic factors, NATO, and other factors; despite this, the future looks bright for the Russian Federation providing economic growth can be maintained.

Lee Jay Walker Dip BA MA

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