Why Russia’s Revised Maritime Doctrine Is Ridiculous

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Russian President Vladimir Putin adopted amendments to Russia’s maritime doctrine signed 14 years ago. The new document covers changes in the world’s geopolitical situation, particularly the changed relations between Russia and NATO.

The revised document also notes the importance of cooperating with India and China as well as providing Crimea with transportation availability.

Yesterday, in the Russia’s Navy Day, Putin signed the amendments for Russia’s maritime doctrine. The document that defines basic concepts of maritime policy was approved by Vladimir Putin on July 27, 2001.

The amendments were announced during a meeting in Baltyisk aboard the Admiral Gorshkov frigate by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, defense minister Sergey Shoigu, Navy Commander Adm. Viktor Chirkov and the commander of Western military region, Anatoliy Sidorov.

The main reasons for the revision of the document are “the changes of international affairs” as well as the strengthening of Russia as a ‘maritime power’, Dmitry Rogozin said.

According to Rogozin, the doctrine covers four directions: naval activity, naval transport, science and development of natural resources as well as six regional areas – the Atlantic, the Arctic, the Pacific, the Caspian Sea, the Indian Ocean and Antarctica.

Rogozin explained that there are many developments in the Antarctica and Russia is interested in the region. The doctrine also notes that the Antarctica possess a large resource potential.

Russia will expand its presence in the Atlantic Ocean

The main accents were put on the Atlantic and the Arctic, Mr Rogozin noted. “Attention to the Atlantic stems from NATO’s active development and the alliance approaching our borders,” he explained.

The doctrine notes that Russia’s maritime policy is defined by “the circumstances in the region that are oriented only on NATO,” as well as “the imperfection of legal mechanisms of providing international security.” The document also underlines that Russia is not going to put up with “NATO’s eastward expansion and the deployment of its infrastructure near Russian borders.”

The long-term task in the Atlantic Ocean is to have a sufficient naval presence there. However, why would a country that claims to be ‘peaceful’ want to expand its presence in the region where it has no enemies and no one to wage a war against?

As for the Black and Azov Seas, Russia is going to restore its strategic positions there. One of the tasks is to provide the Crimean peninsula with transportation availability as well as develop ship-repairing and ship-building complexes in the region. According to the revised document, Russia intends to turn the region into a zone of “military and political stability.”

Russian plans to become pals with China and India

The maritime policy in the Arctic is defined by the importance to guarantee a way for Russian navy to reach the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. The Arctic is also important due to the growing significance of the Northern Sea Route, Rogozin noted.

Therefore, Russia intends to decrease the level of threats to the country’s national security in the Arctic, strengthen its naval potential and develop the Northern fleet. It all would allow Russia to legally regularize the borders of continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean.

As for the Pacific Ocean, Russia plans to strengthen its friendly relationship with China. The revised document also notes that Russia’s Far East has a huge amount of resources but is underpopulated and isolated from industrially developed regions of the country.

“These conditions are worsened by the intensive development of countries of the Asia-Pacific region, which have a significant influence on economic, demographic and military processes in the region,” the document states.

As for the Indian Ocean, Russia first of all plans to develop friendly relations with India. As a conclusion, the document states that Russia intends to “firmly and strongly” strengthen its positions in the world ocean.

However, it must be noted that such ambitious plans require a brand new fleet, which is an expansive thing nowadays. Overall, the document is a yet another pathetic attempt to intimidate the West. But when Russia proves that the country is not able to complete at least half of the stated plans, Putin’s country will look even more ridiculous that it does now.

Why does Russia revise its policy and military doctrines?

The relations between Russia and the West have never been any worse since the end of the Cold War. Ever since the Ukrainian crisis began and Russia annexed Crimea, the Kremlin has been escalating the crisis further.

The funny thing is that Russia constantly points at the West, saying that it’s not saint either. According to the Russians, the West is hypocritical because in the recent years, NATO has been spending on defense 10 times more than Russia.

After the Alliance expanded further into the East, Russia was calmed only by the NATO-Russia Founding Act signed in 1997, in which NATO members pledged not to station permanent contingent on their territories.

However, what concerns Russia is repeated military drills carried out by NATO as well as the Alliance’s stationing of heavy military equipment in Eastern states.

Is U.S. pushing for a nuclear war?

What also concerns Putin’s Russia is the fact that the United States is considering stationing ground nuclear cruise missiles in Europe. Experts from both Russia and the West agree that such a move would increase the possibility of a nuclear war.

In terms of conventional forces, Russia is much weaker than NATO: the amount of the Alliance’s forces exceeds the amount of Russian forces by almost 4 times. Besides, NATO possess more powerful weapons.

That is exactly the reason why Putin insists on modernizing his country’s nuclear weapons. And that is where a new arms race begins.

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