Changes in Russia’s Security Policy : Focusing on Key Security Documents

The Purpose of this study is to explore the changes in the perception of the security threats on the basis of the two main documents such as national security strategy and military doctrine that are regularly revised reflecting the changing international and domestic policy surroundings.BR Security perception based on pro-Western posture under Yeltsin Administration emphasized national and religious extremism as a major source of security threat. Pro-Western stance, however, was replaced by the growing concerns of unilateral approach of the West to the international security issues in the middle of 1990s. A fundamental changes in security threat perception were formulated under Putin Administration when he employed the concept of conflicts between values and civilizations. In the response to security threats, international cooperation with the West was underlined in the military doctrine of 1993. However, building military capability to meet the emerging short-term needs constituted a basis of military reform in early 2000s, which soon replaced by a Russian version of ‘New Look’ policy in 2007, with the emphasis of modernization of strategic forces. Under Putin’s third administration, ‘New Look’ has replaced by ‘post-New Look’, focusing on the modernization of both strategic and conventional weapons.BR A series of changes in security and military key documents indicates recent changes reflect consistent efforts to build a ‘strong Russia’. Russia will pursue more active security policies with the enhanced military capabilities, particularly when its economy recovers from recessions.