PAGE 92 The U.S. Factor and Its Evolution
Introduction
Russian-U.S. relations have long ceased to be the main axle of the
world order, while the importance of their mutual ties has decreased
for both states. Nevertheless, in the next few decades the United
States will hold a key place in Russia’s foreign policy and will largely
determine Russia’s place in the global economic and political systems,
as well as prospects for Russia’s modernization.
The position of the United States in the international system is determined
by a variety of factors, namely: its military potential; presence of
U.S. troops in all key regions of the world; a developed system of alliances
and partnerships, which covers the majority of states that are the most
politically and economically influential; its economy, which remains the
world’s largest and most developed; and the ideological and cultural
attractiveness of the United States. The latter factor, however, has been
losing its former significance of late.
In the medium term, the United States will continue to be the only
superpower in the world, by far exceeding all other states (and even
groups of states) in a whole range of components of force. Nevertheless,
U.S. influence on international processes will decrease.
Today, the main problem facing the U.S. can best be described as fatigue
from the assumed mission of serving as a “global policeman” and building
a hegemonic order based on the domination of one state. Behind the
growing foreign policy rhetoric concerning the global proliferation of
democracy and the eradication of tyranny, not to mention the increasing
ideological tone of the U.S. foreign policy, there is a reluctance to take
concrete actions, above all military ones.
92 Geopolitical Regions
THE WORLD AROUND RUSSIA: 2017
