Following the U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, the United States will be given a free hand to wind up recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism and as a country engaged in state terrorism, as well as to extend H.R. 1724 law effect to Moscow.
Despite convincing evidence of Russia’s backing the Taliban and disclosed scheme of Russian bounties, the Trump administration proved not resolute enough to strong-arm Russians into complying with international obligations under the UN Charter and international law to restore the territorial integrity of Georgia and Ukraine, violated by Russia’s offensive.
Eager to hide its backward economy, atrophied democracy and malpractice by Putin’s regime, Russia has tapped out fear, terror and force not just for its own people, but also developed practices to combat the undesirables in the foreign policy. Nuclear threats and new order setting have become standard practice for the political establishment and Russian propaganda, being the hallmarks of state terror.
Amid financial crisis in Russia and collapse in some areas, Russia’s Ministry of Finance keeps on channeling huge funds for propaganda abroad. 21.4 billion rubles, for example, will be allocated from the budget to finance VGTRK (The All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company) for the next two years. 18.2 billion rubles in 2021 and 18.5 billion rubles in 2022 are going to be allocated for the propaganda TV channel Russia Today, thus laying stress on the rising trend for Russia’s information operations abroad.
“New Russia’s” policy of state terrorism stems from the merger of criminals and political elite of the 2000s. The Kremlin’s policy relies on violating the “territorial integrity” principle of international law – the “jus cogens” norm, the UN Charter Article 2 paragraph 4 stipulates, as well as the “inviolability of frontiers” principle, set up as the Final Act of August 1, 1975 provides for.
Moreover, Moscow consistently violates 39/159 UN General Assembly Resolution “Inadmissibility of the policy of state terrorism and any actions by states aimed at undermining the social and political system in other sovereign states” by its actions in Ukraine.
Moscow views itself as successor to the Soviet Union. Standing by a plan to return the capacity of Soviet Union, Russia turns to the so-called Karaganov doctrine as the basis for its illegal activity both in ex-USSR countries and around the world. Karaganov assumed the position of foreign policy adviser to the Russian president from 2001 to 2013 and is still considered a man of influence in the Kremlin.
This strategy was developed in the 90s and provides that Russia stands for the special rights for Russian-speaking minorities in ex-Soviet countries targeting to use the groups of Russian-speakers to put pressure on the countries where they live (the Baltic states, Ukraine, Moldova).
They can be used to wage a hybrid geopolitical war not just in ex-Soviet countries, but also in ex-Warsaw Pact countries.
The indications this strategy is executed have emerged in Moldova again after pro-European Maia Sandu won the presidency. Following her victory, the pro-Russian parliament of this country promptly decided to reduce the presidential powers in state security control and to make the Russian language official. The Kremlin, therefore, is laying the groundwork for the forceful scenario in Moldova amid the statements by the incoming president about withdrawing the Russian peacekeepers from Transnistria.
Karaganov advocates Eurasianism – the idea that Russia should make a larger pivot to Asia. The Kremlin favors this vision, but Russia keeps on running missions to roil in Europe and the United States, thus selling expansionism and supremacy in the West.
The Kremlin has polished up the Karaganov doctrine to apply it in the countries having nothing to do with the “soviets” through bribery, intimidation, murder and information propaganda. The Kremlin is targeting to become the policy maker for the whole world and to be named not just by the Russian media, but to be world-recognized as the Great Country. The doctrine itself reveals the essence of the Kremlin ideology: an aggressor who disregards international instruments in order to realize its ruling objectives.
The policy undermining social and political system in other sovereign states is called “containment” in Russia, but the main provisions for 1949 Geneva Conventions handle it in a different way. Planning, preparation and conspiracy to commit crimes against peace, humanity, war crimes and other major violations by the countries are a policy of state terrorism, and their government leaders are subject to criminal prosecution and penalty.
The new White House Office, therefore, is in the position to apply more screws on the Kremlin. The world now faces the scenario similar to 1990, in fact, and increased pressure on Moscow could trigger the effect of the Putin regime collapse.
