"American elites badly miscalculated": Russia says new US strategy signals major policy shift

Moscow [Russia], December 9 (ANI): Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded to media questions regarding the new US National Security Strategy released by the administration of US President Donald Trump, calling it a significant shift in Washington's foreign-policy doctrine.
Zakharova noted that the document marks a noticeable reassessment of long-standing US assumptions. She pointed to language indicating a move away from Washington's earlier pursuit of global dominance.
According to her, the Strategy states that "American elites badly miscalculated" by making "hugely misguided and destructive bets on globalism."
She said this ideological shift also appears tied to a change in the US approach to NATO. The Strategy calls for ending "the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance."
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman argued that, for the first time, the United States is formally questioning what she described as NATO's expansionist policy. She also noted that Russia is mentioned in the context of pan-European security and that the document avoids calls for increased economic pressure on Moscow.
At the same time, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zakharova warned that the Strategy signals Washington's intent to pursue "energy dominance" by "curtailing the influence of adversaries," even if Russia is not named directly.
When asked about military and strategic issues, Zakharova said there were contradictions in the document. She highlighted the absence of clarity on a framework to replace the New START treaty, specifically on criteria for parity in nuclear arsenals.
She added that references to the American global missile-defence network, described as the "Golden Dome," lacked sufficient detail, and said Russia still expects Washington to explain how it views the balance between strategic offensive and defensive capabilities.
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman also commented on language about "reassessing" the need for a US military presence in regions deemed less important to American security. She said this reflected an "America First" approach, but argued it should not be read as a retreat from overseas deployments.
She pointed to passages focused on the Asia-Pacific region and criticised what she described as confrontational wording toward China, along with calls for key partners to provide "greater access" to US military forces.
Addressing a shift in US focus toward the Western Hemisphere, Zakharova said some portions of the Strategy appear to echo the "Roosevelt Corollary," suggesting an expansion of the Monroe Doctrine.
She said this language was especially concerning amid what she alleged were deliberate US efforts to escalate tensions around Venezuela. She added that Russia expects the White House to avoid actions that could lead to a "full-scale conflict" in the region with "unpredictable consequences" for the Western Hemisphere. (ANI)