The evolution of Russian approaches to the «One Belt, One Road» initiative

One Belt, One Road has already become one of the key projects of the PRC in Eurasia, significantly strengthening its position, both political and economic. The key issue being considered in this regard is Russia’s attitude to the OBOR and its transformation over time and with the change in the very essence of the Chinese project from trade and logistics to investment and even civilizational. It is quite obvious that the official positions of the countries have not changed - Russia and China are developing a long-term partnership, deep mutual integration of the countries’ economies is taking place, and the partnership itself is beneficial to both parties. However, it is worth noting that the Russian Federation’s attitude towards Chinese foreign policy ambitions is quite cautious and restrained, which determines the importance of assessing approaches to its main initiative, which is also beneficial for the Russian Federation, the OBOR. The study identifies three main stages in the evolution of the BRI as a project; at each of them, the Russian Federation’s approaches to the project are analyzed at the level of perception of the proposed tools and risks.