Valdai Discussion Club

Reason and individualism are important components of civilisational development, although they are not the only components. The key focus for discussions about the development of civilisation should therefore be the limits of reason. Is the pre-modern heavy luggage slowing down development, or is it the foundational building block of civilisation as the primordial instincts of human nature cannot be transcended? The relationship between the modern and the pre-modern is the…

On April 24, 2024, the Valdai Club held an expert discussion about the problems and challenges which affect strategic stability. Moderator Oleg Barabanov called this topic extremely relevant, pointing out that, in addition to the global aspect associated with Russian-American relations, it has begun to acquire a regional dimension. He also emphasised that now, strategic stability both in the media and in expert circles is being interpreted more and more…

In recent years, sanctions have become an extremely common tool of Washington’s foreign policy, which has more or less left Israel untouched, as it remains the main Middle Eastern ally of the United States. Since the beginning of this year, there has been a change in both this trend and the nature of American restrictions, whose ultimate goals have been revealed in a new way. Historians argue that states have…

On January 1, 2024, Egypt and four other countries from the Global South became members of BRICS. Egypt had previously joined the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) in December 2021 with a contribution of $1.2 billion. This represents an important turning point in Egyptian policy. Since the 1970s, Egypt has submitted to the Western economy, which is dominated by the United States. Egypt’s membership in BRICS confirms the popularity and…

On Monday, April 22, 2024, as part of the International Kant Congress in Kaliningrad, the Valdai Club held a special session, titled “Reason and Progress? History of Civilisations Turned to the Future”. The session participants discussed the role of Immanuel Kant in the formation of modern concepts of world order and the significance of his legacy for understanding the processes taking place in international life today. Opening the session, Deputy Prime…

The modus operandus of the West today is simple. There is, it is claimed, a ‘rules-based international order’. Those who comply with the rules are within the pale, or the inner and privileged circle that enjoys good relations with one another, including the most powerful economies in the world. However, those outside the pale are not only to be excluded; every attempt must be made to force them to accede…

On April 22, 2024, the 300th anniversary of the birth of Immanuel Kant, one of the most significant figures in the history of philosophy, will be celebrated. His life and works are inextricably linked to the University of Königsberg, which today bears the name of this great scholar as the Baltic Federal University, a major educational centre in Russia. In addition to celebrating the anniversary, a large-scale scientific conference dedicated…

At the beginning of March 2024, the European Commission adopted and published the European Defence Industrial Strategy (“Strategy”) and the European Defence Industry Programme (“Programme”). These measures were a reaction to Russia’s overall success, both amid its Special Military Operation, as well as in mobilizing the resources of its military-industrial complex. This step towards establishing a common military-industrial complex for the European Union seems logical, but one should not expect…

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Beijing. Russia and China are organising various commemorative events. The healthy development of Sino-Russian relations amid today's complex and constantly changing international environment is attracting the attention of the whole world.Both sides have emphasised that China-Russia relations are currently better than at any other time in history. This assessment is a historical conclusion made by…

On February 29, 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his state of the nation speech to the Federal Assembly, stressed the need to form a new contour of equal and indivisible security in Eurasia, as well as the country’s readiness for a substantive conversation on this topic with interested parties and associations. Already in April, 2024, the Russian leader’s idea was being pursued during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s visit to…

On April 22, from 13:30 to 16:30 Kaliningrad Time (GMT +2), the Valdai Discussion Club will hold a special session as part of the International Kant Congress, titled “Reason and Progress? History of Civilisations Turned to the Future”. The session will be held at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (BFU) (Kaliningrad, Alexander Nevsky St., 14). In January 2024, during a visit to Kaliningrad, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with students from…

Apparently, the growing changes in international life will be so significant that they will affect not only the direct balance of power between the leading nations, but even our fundamental ideas about the degree of importance of certain types of state activity. We already see that the modern state is faced with such serious challenges that foreign policy is everywhere subject to considerations of a domestic, political nature. This applies…

The United States seems to be embarked on a heated rematch between two leaders who, despite their different personalities, respective supporter bases and ideological standpoints, have very little to offer in the way of a new relationship between the United States and its southern neighbours. Rather, both a Democrat or a Republican Administration will likely just be concerned with maintaining most of the region in line with its foreign policy…

On April 10, the Valdai Discussion Club hosted an expert discussion on international information security, in which both Russian and foreign experts took part. The moderator was Andrey Bystritskiy, Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for the Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club. The topic of international information security has acquired particular relevance in the context of rapid scientific and technological progress. It contains both a wide…

All countries in Northeast Asia (except Mongolia) are aiming to create the most combat-ready submarine fleets. It is worth noting the clear emphasis on the task of striking ground targets by the South Koreans and, in the future, also the Japanese. Their focus is also on improving stealth and autonomy for long-term operations in more remote sea areas. Taiwan stands apart, as their independent construction of submarines seems more like…

The background to the recent discussions between the BRICS countries on international monetary and financial matters and, in particular, on possible joint initiatives is well-known in general. There is, first and foremost, an increasingly widespread perception that the current US dollar-centred international monetary system is becoming dysfunctional. Second, the increasing multipolarisation of the world in economic and political terms seems inconsistent with the indefinite continuation of a basically unipolar world…

The United States is trying to seize the initiative in the media interpretation of the tragic terrorist attack that occurred in Russia. In the Western media space, Washington is forming the opinion that should, by all means, remove their protégé, Ukraine, from the focus of attention. At certain points in time, ISIS (banned in Russia) has been a convenient tool for the United States in Syria. Data have been published…

For several decades now, the number of people moving from their home country to other destinations has been growing exponentially. The United Nations estimates that more than 280 million people are now living in a country other than their country of birth. This figure is 130 million higher than it was in 1990, and more than three times higher than in 1970, an increase that confirms the escalation of the…

On February 24, 2022, the discussion on European security was terminated. Europe defined itself as a community of states hostile to Russia (there are exceptions like Hungary and Slovakia, but they have little influence on the EU as a whole). Economic, political and other ties between the European states and Russia were reduced to a minimum. The question of the European security system boiled down to its hard realist basis:…

Mistrust continues to govern relations between Russia and the West. Two years of full-scale military confrontation have only served to confirm existing negative preconceptions about each side’s intentions. President Putin could make the initial move to break this deadlock by sending a clear message that Russia does not seek to extinguish Ukrainian statehood and considers the idea of security guarantees for Ukraine to be legitimate. In response, Western leaders should…

Since time immemorial, the sea has been a contested arena for state and non-state actors, for the passage of valuable goods and the control of traffic. Traditionally, the straits have been the focus of attention.On March 23, 2021, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, the world had its first experience with an accidental blockade of global maritime traffic due to the Evergreen Ever Given, which blocked the Suez Canal…

Any measure that hinders the supply of affordable energy to Europe, such as the continuation of sanctions or a premature withdrawal from long-term gas supply contracts, will cause massive damage to the European economy and set the EU back by years, if not decades, Ulrike Reisner writes. Pursued under the concept of the Green Deal, the energy transition has been one of the strongest and most damaging factors influencing the…

Competition of candidatesIt is worth clarifying that for Trump, issues of loyalty are extremely important and this feature will influence his choice of vice president along with the real strategic advantages of one of the candidates.Marjorie Taylor-Green, Mat Goetz, Byron DonaldsAll three are close to Trump ideologically, but do not appeal to the political centre and are even losing popularity in their own states. Trump already has an anti-rating (it is not his…

On March 28, 2024, the Valdai Club presented its new report, titled “Crafting National Interests: How Diplomatic Training Impacts Sovereignty”. The moderator was Andrey Sushentsov, programme director of the Club.Nikita Neklyudov, an expert at MGIMO University’s Institute for International Studies, noted that the report returns us to the discussion about what resources are in international politics. We are accustomed to talking about resources as something material, but it is diplomacy…

Despite its significantly lower weight in the global economy compared to the United States, London is trying to secure its role as one of the leaders in the application of sanctions. This is facilitated by the continued position of the UK as one of the world’s financial hubs, a major source of FDI, a leader in the insurance market, consulting and legal services, as well as a supplier of industrial…

NATO’s aggression against Yugoslavia for international politics was that it was a collective attack, perpetrated by a large group of Western countries, against a sovereign state, and marked the watershed between a time when a peaceful world order could still be expected, and the resumption of the Cold War in a new form, Valdai Club Programme Director Timofei Bordachev writes. This month, the whole world remembers the unprovoked attack which…

The modern world is the most mobile that it has been in the last 30 years. For many years, the relatively stable situation in Europe seemed exemplary to many, and its security complex was perceived as a prototype for other regions to emulate, including the Middle East. However, we see that the tectonic plates of the leading powers’ interests are now in motion. When they clash, the sparks can lead…

In January 2023, Christopher Hill, the US Ambassador to Belgrade, was interviewed by the Serbian media; he stated that for him “the biggest disappointment was that things that I thought were decided a long time ago are still fresh in people's memory. When I came here last March, I was surprised that every day they remembered 1999. States, like people, need sustainability, but also they need to complete some things…

The multidirectional geopolitical interests of regional and external players, which directly influence the difficult socio-political transformations in the region, keep us from being optimistic about the rapid transformation of the South Caucasus into a zone of peace – even if some document on the normalisation of relations between Baku and Yerevan has formally acquired legal status, Andrei Areshev writes. In September 2023, Azerbaijan restored military and administrative control over the…

Alas, the world is on fire. And this fire is only growing. For some reason, it seems that we don’t have enough firefighters. But there are plenty of arsonists. When we look at what is happening in the modern world and reflect on the behaviour of its various elites, it seems that a significant proportion of them are in a state of permanent madness or hysteria, leading to the inability…

ROn March 18, 2024, the Valdai Club hosted and expert discussion dedicated to financial settlements within the BRICS. Moderator Ivan Timofeev recalled that, according to the final declaration of the 2023 BRICS summit, the relevant departments of the member countries had to work out possible mechanisms for financial settlements. The talk was about creating a system that was not hostile to the West, but functional and protected from politicisation by…

The creation of new financial mechanisms through BRICS is one of the most promising fields for the development of the association. In the final declaration of the BRICS countries after the 2023 Summit, financial policy was given quite a lot of attention. In particular, it was stated that the BRICS Payment Task Force (BPTF) needs to prepare a report on payment mechanisms, including those based on cross-border payment systems. The…

The world has lost its understanding of the balance of power that is obvious to everyone, which makes international relations more complex. A large number of emerging crises are caused by the fact that “small” and “medium-sized” countries have begun to experiment: they see an opportunity for themselves to test the system of international relations and understand how much their freedom of action has expanded. “Older” countries, feeling that the…

Discrepancies between expectations and practice are one of the most noticeable characteristics of modern world politics, both in the performance of leading powers and in the activities of the international institutions they create. The origin of this phenomenon is the fact that the first is a product of subjective ideas or intentions, while the second is the result of objective factors, which even the strongest political will cannot cancel. Moreover,…

For the 2024 World Youth Festival in Sochi, a group of young experts under the auspices of the Valdai Discussion Club prepared a report titled “Charting the 2040: Younger Generation Insight on the World in the Making”. This report left a very favourable impression; it is thought-provoking and represents a very interesting model for the future development of the world. We have previously responded to the part of it dealing…

Amid the second anniversary of the start of the Special Military Operation (SVO) in Ukraine, a number of Western countries and associations launched a new set of sanctions against Russia, as expected. In quantitative terms, the number of Russian companies and citizens subject to restrictive measures was indeed high. However, the latest wave of sanctions does not bring qualitative changes - their impact on the Russian economy and its relations…

The Valdai Club youth conference on March 5 consisted of three thematic sessions and an open discussion. As during the closed-door workshops held on March 3–4, which you can read about here, the participants in the open session were guided by the image of the future presented in the new Valdai Club report “Charting the 2040: Younger Generation Insight on the World in the Making.” But if in previous days…

Neither Washington nor Beijing are ready for sharp escalation at the moment. The Americans are looking forward to the presidential election in 2024, and China continues to experience economic problems. Nevertheless, the desire of the United States to prove its readiness to support Taiwan continues to increase the level of hard tension in this part of the planet, where, as it seemed earlier, a relatively stable status quo had developed, writes Roman Romanov. US President Joe Biden signed an executive order to launch the first phase of the…

The banking and financial relations between Iran and Russia have developed significantly in recent years under the influence of several factors, which is unprecedented in the history of relations between the two countries, Vali Kaleji writes.  In his article, Dr. Vali Kaleji, a Tehran-based expert on Central Asia and Caucasian Studies, postulates that banking and financial relations between Iran and Russia have developed significantly in recent years, which is unprecedented…

The 20th Annual Meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club, titled “Fair Multipolarity: How to Ensure Security and Development for All” will be held in Sochi on October 2–5, 2023. The meeting will be attended by more than 130 experts, politicians and diplomats from 43 countries throughout Eurasia, Africa, North and South America. Traditionally, at the Annual Valdai Meeting, the majority of guests are foreign participants. In recent years, the reports of…