Speech of Russian President Putin at the Munich Security Conference 2007 (“Munich Speech 2007”) as a predictor of the formation of the modern foreign policy agenda of the Russian Federation

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the relationship between Putin’s Munich speech and the current foreign policy agenda of the Russian Federation. From a retrospective point of view, this study traces a causal relationship indicating that the Munich speech became the starting point for a partial reorientation of the vector of trade and political relations of a number of countries not only in the Asian region but also beyond. Putin's political discourse had a decisive impact on Russia's geopolitical reorientation in 2008–2024 and on the formation of a new foreign economic and foreign policy strategy. Herewith, the central focus is set on the economic aspect of the RF’s foreign policy concerning Brazil, India, and the PRC. The intensification of foreign economic relations undoubtedly affected political cooperation and dialogue, which also influenced the revision of the state strategy, including Russia. By constructing models of the influence of the Munich speech on Russia's foreign trade, it was revealed that speech is a statistically significant regressor (independent variable) of imports and exports between Russia Brazil, India, and China. The development of economic cooperation between the BRICS countries is the material foundation for the formation of an independent centre of power in the multipolar world.