On the last day of 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed an executive order approving the country's new National Security Strategy out to 2020. There are two notable points in the new document. It identifies NATO, especially the US, by name as a potential threat and stresses cooperation with Asia-Pacific countries.

Compared to the last 25 years since the collapse of the USSR, Russia's national security strategy is unprecedentedly assertive, which is an active approach toward the country's current external environment.

After two decades of transformation, Russia's national security concept has undergone great changes. The old confrontational national security concept adopted by the Soviet Union has turned into a cooperative one.

But the Russian elite believes that the country still faces threats of confrontations. The old security concept seems to be returning during Putin's era. While stressing cooperative means to solve the country's development issues and challenges of globalization, it requires the country to speed up military modernization so as to cope with these confrontations.

The Ukrainian crisis has intensified the tense relationship between Russia and the West, which is the direct reason that Russia amended its national security strategy. There is not likely to be any breakthrough in the strained relationship and the confrontational state may last for years. Under such circumstances, the Russian government must adjust its understanding of national security.

Russia for the first time lists NATO as a national security threat in its security strategies. In previous documents, the wording was that unilateralism and hegemonism created instability in Russia's peripheral areas. This time, Russia's naming of NATO shows that there is no need to hide the breakdown of relations. In the eyes of Russia, the West has had negative influence on Russia's national interests. The US' diplomatic suppression of Russia and economic sanctions on it due to the Ukraine crisis have destabilized Russia's domestic security situation.

Another feature of Russia's new National Security Strategy is that Russia will continue to shift toward Asia. Its westward path has been blocked by the US and Europe, and it can only rely on non-Western powers to confront the current world order led by the US and the rest of NATO. In 2015, Russia accelerated the development of its Far East region. Although it won't generate results any time soon, the plan shows Russia's desire to get away from the current dilemma and its judgment that the threat to its national security from eastern areas is less than from the West.

The Strategy refers to China first when talking about relations with particular countries. Russia views the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination as key for global and regional stability. It also mentions India.

China, India and Russia are the three biggest non-Western powers. In recent years, Russia has intentionally articulated non-Western concepts and tried to be a major power in the non-Western world.

If a man wants to protect himself, he must have a sharp sword and a sturdy shield. It is the same for a country. Naming NATO serves as the sword and developing relations with China and India is a way to defend itself from attacks by the West. Russia is flexing its muscles in an unfavorable environment with the aggressive National Security Strategy. 

The author is a PhD candidate at the Center for Russian Studies, East China Normal University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn