Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev
President Dimitry Medvedev released his new foreign policy strategy today and at the same time gave his Prime Minister (and former President) Vladimir Putin a role in foreign policy. This is a reversal on the President’s post-election speech where he stated that foreign policy control would remain strictly in Presidential hands. The Prime Minister’s new powers allow him to implement foreign policy, a power thought to be only for the President. Other than this change, the strategy is very similar to then-President Putin’s strategy set forth in 2000. This strategy also puts a focus on further relations with the European Union as an economic and foreign policy partner while specifically mentioning France, Germany, and Italy among countries that Medvedev wants to advance relations with. Medvedev’s strategy mentions mending relations with Britain. This is especially important as the ties have become strained by the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko (which Britian has blamed Russia under Putin for) and the treatment of British investors at TNK-BP (joint venture between Russian TNK and British BP oil companies). Medvedev must work to clear Russia in the murder of Litvinenko and to rebuild ties with Britain and BP. The strategy puts a focus on Russia being a major player in a multipolar world where the UN and international law reign over all. This focus on international law comes as no surprise due to President Medvedev’s history as a lawyer.
This emphasis on the UN and international law is what I like most of the strategy. Find out why by clicking below.
The focus on international law and ruling bodies like the UN will become very important for Russia and other nations as the need for a governing body like the UN is seen on a daily basis. Maybe the Iraq War would have gone quicker if the US had followed the UN’s decision to not enter at the time that we did. I know that is just a hypothetical, but it is also just one example of many. The UN can be used to prevent/stop long and bloody conflicts as long as everyone plays along. The biggest example of the needing to play along is seen in UNAMID. This force is the UN mission in Darfur and is currently undermanned and under equipped. 26,000 personnel were promised to the region while only about 9600 are there currently and 200 non-essential will be pulled out soon as the region become more dangerous.
If the UN was running at full capacity and with full dedication from its member state, it very well may be able to successfully perform its mission of peace and security, defending human rights, and facilitating international law. Something it has attempted to perform for many years and has done a decent job so far, but I believe this is a prime time for the international community to rally together and make a big push for the UN as the only international governing body.
