West Beware: Russian Foreign Policy Just Got A Big Upgrade | Alexander Konkov & Matthew Crosston

Western media is obsessed with portraying Russian actions on the world stage either as crazy or as erratic. Neither is the case. Russia has constantly been communicating its foreign policy priorities and objectives, and it has been following the strategies it proclaimed closely. In this episode Alexander Konkov and Matthew Crosston help analyse the newest itineration of Russia’s “Foreign Policy Concept,“ making the point that Russia is getting bolder and more proactive. Dr. Alexander E. Konkov is an Associate Professor at Moscow State University where he works at the Department of Political Analysis. And Dr. Matthew Crosston is an expert in Russian foreign policy at Bowie State University where he serves as the director of the Academic Transformation Devision. Earlier this year, Alexander wrote an interesting analysis with the title “Rules for a Game whiteout Rules” in which he breaks down Russias new Foreign Policy Concept that was approved by the Kremlin on March 31. Matthew shared this paper on his social media so I thought I would invite both of them to discuss the new document, how to interpret it, and what it means for the future of Russian Foreign Policy. ------------------------------------------------------ Pascal’s academic articles about neutrality studies: “In Defense of Neutrals: Why They’re More Than Fence Sitter” Foreign Policy, June 6, 2023. “The Future of Neutrality”. Geneva Center for Security Policy, Policy Briefs, no.4, 2023. ISBN: 978-2-88947-407-3. “Dual-Neutrality for the Koreas: A Two-Pronged Approach toward Reunification.” Defense & Security Analysis, 2022, “The Politics and Diplomacy of Neutrality.” Oxford Bibliographies in International Relations, New York: Oxford University Press, 2022, “Neutrality Studies.” Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies, New York: Oxford University Press, 2022, ). “Going East: Switzerland’s Early Consular Diplomacy toward East and Southeast Asia.” Traverse: Zeitschrift für Geschichte 27 no. 1, 2020, 23–34, “Violent Conflicts and Neutral Legations: A Case Study of the Spanish and Swiss Legations in Wartime Japan.” New Global Studies 11, no.2, 20 17. 85–100, Pascal’s books about neutrality studies: Lottaz Pascal, and Ingemar Ottosson. Sweden, Japan, and the Long Second World War 1931–1945. London: Routledge, 2021. Lottaz Pascal, Heinz Gärtner, and Herbert Reginbogin, eds. Neutral Beyond the Cold: Neutral States and the Post-Cold War International System. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2022, Reginbogin, Herbert, and Pascal Lottaz, eds. Permanent Neutrality: A Model for Peace, Security, and Justice. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2020, Lottaz Pascal, and Herbert Reginbogin, eds. Notions of Neutralities. Lanham: Lexington Books, 2019,