The economy of the Russian Federation, all its entities and municipalities must be prepared to provide protection against armed attack and meet the needs of the state and the population in wartime, reads the updated National Security Strategy of the Russian Federation, which was approved by President Vladimir Putin.

The document, which is prepared by the Security Council, is the cornerstone for all government decisions and serves as the basis for the formation of industry strategic doctrines. It speaks of the "increase of military dangers and threats" that "contribute to attempts of forceful pressure" on Russia, "the build up of military infrastructure" of NATO near Russian borders and "intensification of intelligence activities" of foreign states.

According to the new strategy, "the use of large military formations and nuclear weapons against Russia" is being "worked out". This threat is listed as real for the first time in Russia’s modern history.

In this regard, it is necessary to "maintain the nuclear deterrence capability", to ensure "readiness for combat" of the armed forces and technological independence of the defense industry, as well as to plan and conduct "measures to prepare for the security and protection of the population, material and cultural values from the dangers arising, in the case of military conflicts," the document reads.

The previous version, approved in 2016, focused on defense "through strategic deterrence and the prevention of military conflicts." The new version explicitly states that the defense is "organized for the armed protection" of the country, the "sovereignty and integrity of its territory."

At the same time, the thesis of Brezhnev's nuclear de-escalation calling for “a gradual movement towards a world free of nuclear weapons” is rejected. This item was present in 2016 strategy and has been withdrawn from the new edition.

Russia faces "unfriendly actions" from foreign states, "open political and economic pressure," attempts to "isolate it" by applying double standards and "information campaigns aimed at forming a hostile image" of the country, the document reads.

The authors of the strategy blame the unfriendly Western countries, which, in their opinion, are stirring economic and social crisis.

In particular, this is due to the "stagnation and recession of the world's leading economies, the decline in the stability of the world monetary system, the aggravation of the struggle for access to markets and resources," as well as the general "crisis of the Western liberal model," the document states.

And if 5 years ago the Russian Security Council allowed Russia's return to its former international status and pointed out as a goal of development, for example, "attracting foreign investment", in 2021 strategy-2021, the emphasis is on further isolation.

The document speaks about the need to "strengthen control" over foreign investors in strategic industries, "reduce the use of the dollar" and "overcome critical dependence on technology imports, equipment and components."

"Important conditions for ensuring the economic security of the Russian Federation are the reliance on internal capabilities and independent solution for the issues facing Russia," the document emphasizes.

The list of strategic national priorities has also changed. In 2016, they included "improving the life quality of Russian citizens," "economic growth," "health," "education" and "culture."

These items have now been removed. They were replaced by "saving the people of Russia," "economic security," "information security" and "protecting traditional Russian spiritual and moral values."

  Putin, Russia

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