Russian Security in the Pacific Region

Abstract

Abstract Russia’s claim to great power status in the Pacific has historically rested on military power, largely land based. The Asia Pacific is no longer the threatening environment of the previous century; Russia has developed a close strategic partnership with Asia’s rising power to counter the United States. The Sino-Russian partnership is of immense value to Moscow, allowing the Kremlin to focus on security threats from Europe without the traditional concern of potential conflicts simultaneously from the East and West. Putin’s dominance in foreign policy has prioritized a personal relationship with Xi Jinping and downplayed potential long-term conflicts between the two countries. Russia and China act together to balance American power in the Pacific and globally, although Moscow follows a hedging strategy with key regional actors to realize its economic interests and to avoid becoming too dependent on Beijing. Russia’s security perspective and military doctrine derive from a distinct spatial context, and from specific threats and opportunities that have shaped Moscow’s approach to the region for more than a century.