Russia sets example of strong crisis management with firm legal basis

By Yang Yucai Source:Global Times Published: 2014-4-21 20:23:01

After Crimea's integration into Russia, the focus of the Ukraine crisis is gradually shifting to the country's eastern region. What embarrasses Ukraine's current authorities is that they cannot afford to refuse dialogue and cooperation with Moscow, even though they are indignant at Moscow's actions.

Meanwhile, US-Russia relations, which were once on the verge of a new Cold War, are gradually heading back on the track of dialogue and cooperation.

It seems that along with diplomatic measures and economic dialogues, Russia's "assertiveness" which the West finds hard to tolerate, may be gradually diluted. The Putin administration's high efficiency in managing the regional crisis is impressive.

Such a high efficiency stems from a united security institution, a high level of strategic planning, and government agencies' strong enforcement capabilities.

Russia's crisis management is based on a unified national security institution, at the core of which is the Federal Security Service (FSB). Through the FSB, Russian President Vladimir Putin grasps the overall strategic pattern and makes the most important decisions.

Military orders are smoothly transferred through the military institution guided by the Ministry of Defense. Consultation, discussion and collaboration are then organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the FSB-affiliated trans-department security committees.

In such a way, close collaboration between parliament agencies and diplomatic, military, security and intelligence organs is ensured, and the authority, consistency and flexibility of emergency policies made by Putin can be guaranteed.

In order to ensure flexible and efficient emergency handling, the Putin administration emphasizes making decisions based on law and on response plans.

As the president of Russia, Putin has the final say in making contingent decisions facing international crises. The emergency measures that he comes up are in accordance with the constitution, as well as procedures stipulated by the security and defense laws.

This principle of acting according to the law also ensures that departments at various levels can play to their own role and make complimentary decisions when necessary.

In recent years, due to high frequency of emergency events, Russia's security departments have largely made their own emergency response plans, on the basis of joint response plans by trans-department committees. These plans, through certain procedures, have quasi-legal feasibility.

The comprehensive emergency handling plans are closely linked to responsibilities of individual positions. And this serves as the basis of Russia's highly efficient crisis management system.

Both temporary and long-run perspectives are needed while handling very sensitive international affairs. Focusing merely on timely issues may lead up to radical decision-making or enforcement. Exaggerated responses may give leeway to leftover problems, thus harming national security.

Fundamentally speaking, highly efficient crisis management depends on constant buildup of security capabilities.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia has had difficult explorations and reforms centered around improving national security and military security institutions.

This does not automatically appear amid a country's economic recovery. It actually reflects the sense of crisis and the spirit of hard work of the elite and the whole nation.

Given its historical suffering, Russia pays great attention to national security affairs, and stresses the establishment of an international security environment and world-oriented military buildup.

In such circumstances, Russia's military and diplomatic authorities have fostered a strategic tradition of positive defense, active interference and the spirit of risk-taking. A generation of generals and strategists with great ambitions has emerged. Ordinary Russian soldiers also uphold the principle of taking active actions.

In an era of frequent crisis, every country is exposed to the risks of getting involved in international crises or even risk swirls. In the meantime, new opportunities can be expected.

The key issue is that countries can have the capability of crisis handling, so that negative elements can be controlled and positive ones predicted beforehand. In such a way, countries can take actions decisively to face crises and grasp good opportunities by themselves.

The author is a professor at the crisis management center of the PLA National Defense University. opinion@globaltimes.com.cn



Posted in: Viewpoint

blog comments powered by Disqus