Putin's new concept: what you need to know About "civilization" that "doesn't fit anywhere"

About "civilization" that "doesn't fit anywhere"

On the last day of March, Putin approved a new version of the Concept of Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation (the previous Concept was adopted in 2016). The study of this document leads to the conclusion of a radical change in priorities and vision of the world proposed by Moscow. In terms of cynicism, vocabulary, mythology and internal contradictions, this is an ordinary document made in Russia, and under other conditions, on April Fool's Day, it could be laughed at. But since this Concept outlines the official position of a cruel, vile and aggressive enemy, it is better to take it seriously.
So already in one of the first points of the document it is stated that "more than a thousand years of experience of independent statehood, the cultural heritage of the previous era, deep historical ties with traditional European culture and other cultures of Eurasia, the skill developed over the centuries to ensure the harmonious coexistence of different peoples, of ethnic, religious and linguistic groups on the common territory determines the special position of Russia as the original state-civilization, a large Eurasian and Europacific state, which united the Russian people and other nations that make up the cultural and civilizational community of "Russian peace". At the same time, Moscow "performs a historically formed unique mission",  which consists in maintaining the global balance of power and building a multipolar international system.
According to the Concept, it turns out that "Russian foreign policy has a calm, open, predictable, consistent, pragmatic character, built on respect for the generally recognized principles and norms of international law and the desire for equal international cooperation in order to solve common tasks and promote common interests." At the same time, he points out is that Russia will build relations with other states and interstate associations, based on how these structures treat it - constructively, neutrally or hostilely.
In a comment for the Russian media, the editor-in-chief of the magazine "Russia in Global Politics" Fyodor Lukyanov pointed out that "the basic novelty of the concept is that Russia is defined as a state-civilization." At the same time, according to him, "it is impossible to formulate what a state-civilization is. But there is one obvious indicator - civilization does not fit anywhere, it stands on its own. In the previous decades, Russia assumed, with varying zeal and varying degrees of success, that it should integrate into different communities - European and global. Now it's over, that's why civilization doesn't fit in anywhere - it's enough for itself." The description of the world given in the Concept confirms that there really isn't anywhere to fit in.

It makes no sense to break these statements down into atoms. We are perfectly informed about how the "harmonious existence" of the people of Russia is ensured and what the "peaceful character" of its foreign policy looks like, but the "thousand-year experience of statehood" and "state civilization" are worth analyzing a lot.
In the previous, seven-year-old Concept, it was said that deep changes are taking place in the world, which lead to the creation of a polycentric international system. In the new document, these changes are called revolutionary (the West was already in deep decline then). The new concept does not mention Transnistria, the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh and the OSCE as one of the key organizations: Russia considers the United Nations central, and international norms should be formulated only there, preferably in the UN Security Council, where it has the right of veto.
The document mentions twice the "Republic of Abkhazia" and the "Republic of South Ossetia", with which cooperation will be strengthened, the entire paragraph is dedicated to China and India, friendly Iran and Syria are especially mentioned, the development of relations with Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. At the same time, European countries, the EU and the Council of Europe are subjected to extremely harsh criticism. They were asked to come to their senses, confess, and then they will be accepted into the so-called Great Eurasian Partnership.
The United States of America was given the last place, at the end of the document, before Antarctica. They are the main evil, which, if necessary, you have to suffer, even if not for long, because the world they built ceases to exist. The other "Anglo-Saxon states" are of no interest to anyone. They will stop their hostile course - maybe Russia will forgive them. The document includes Africa, the Asia-Pacific region, the Arctic and the Near Abroad. And there is no Ukraine. There is a "Ukrainian direction" - in what context.
"Considering the strengthening of Russia as one of the leading centers of development of the modern world, considering its independent foreign policy as a threat to Western hegemony, the United States of America (USA) and its satellites used the measures taken by the Russian Federation to protect its vital interests in the Ukrainian direction as a pretext for tightening of the long-standing anti-Russian policy and launched a hybrid war of a new type. It is aimed at the comprehensive weakening of Russia, including undermining its creative civilizational role, power, economic and technological capabilities, limiting its sovereignty in foreign and domestic policy, destroying its territorial integrity. Such a course of the West acquired a comprehensive character..."

This is exactly the narrative that Russia is promoting around the world, the war was started by the USA and its satellites, they did not understand the legitimate "measures" on the "Ukrainian direction" in that way. Therefore, Russia is forced to defend itself.

Russia continues to persistently repeat and convince other countries, primarily China, that Ukraine is a proxy war waged by the United States with the aim of preventing the establishment of a "fairer" world order. The current events were preceded by the civil war of the "Kiev regime" against the eastern regions, so Russia's actions are justified. Unfortunately, in many countries of Africa and Asia, such a misconception has echoes. Russia is trying to convince the rest of the world that it simply has to stand up against the pernicious practice of imposing a kind of "rule-based order" by individual states - "colonialists" and "hegemons". The rules should be established fairly, that is, under the control of Russia. In short, the essence of the document can be formulated as follows: Russia does not want to live by rules that it does not set itself, and Russia itself will decide how and in what way it will set its own rules. The only question is what Beijing and Delhi will say to that?