The list of unfriendly countries, which was approved by the Russian government last week, will become an additional instrument of Moscow's influence on the provocative actions of its "Western partners".

This opinion was expressed in an interview with RT by Vladimir Vinokurov, professor of the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.

“The recently adopted list means that Russia imposes certain restrictions on bilateral relations.

This should sober up our "Western partners" and give them a reason to think about the correctness of the course they are pursuing.

By the way, we can see that the West is now “fussing”, that is, Moscow has already achieved a certain effect, ”Vinokurov says.

According to him, the announcement of the preparation of the register of unfriendly states and its subsequent publication played a role in postponing the consideration by the EU authorities of the issue of expelling Russian diplomats.

Vinokurov expects the European Union to announce concrete measures on May 25.

On this day, an extraordinary summit will be held, within the framework of which a strategic discussion is planned on relations between Brussels and Moscow.

In his opinion, when making decisions, EU leaders will take into account the factor of the list of unfriendly countries.

Pavel Feldman, Deputy Director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Problems of the RUDN University, also positively assesses the role of the register of unfriendly states in Russia upholding its national interests.

In a commentary to RT, he noted that Moscow has actually created a new tool for "adjusting" the work of foreign diplomats.

“The register of such countries is a worthy response to the actions and policies that the West is currently pursuing towards Russia.

And this is not an attack, not an act of aggression.

It is rather a statement of the level of degradation of Western policy towards Russia, the bottom that it has reached at the moment, ”Feldman argues.

In turn, President of the Center for Strategic Communications Dmitry Abzalov considers the list of unfriendly states as a "message", which may be followed by concrete and serious measures of a political or economic nature.

"Psychological Impact"

The list of unfriendly countries was approved by the Russian government on May 13 on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It included two states - the United States and the Czech Republic.

Thus, the authorities of the Russian Federation not only concretized the nature of the policy of Washington and Prague in relation to Moscow, but also imposed restrictions on the activities of the embassies and representations of these states.

The text of the document states that US diplomatic structures cannot hire administrative and technical workers from among the citizens of the Russian Federation.

For Czech representations, a quota of 19 Russians was introduced.

  • Entrance to the Czech Embassy on Julius Fucik Street in Moscow

  • RIA News

  • © Valery Melnikov

The West reacted negatively to the emergence of a register of unfriendly countries.

In particular, the European Union called on Moscow to reconsider this decision.

The corresponding statement was made by the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign and Security Policy Josep Borrell.

According to him, the approval of the list of unfriendly countries contradicts the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961, which obliges the authorities of the host state to ensure the normal functioning of diplomatic missions.

“We call on Russia to reconsider its decision to avoid further deterioration of our already tense relations.

The EU will continue to coordinate its position with its partners.

We express our full solidarity with the Czech Republic, an EU member state, as well as the United States of America, and call on Russia to fully comply with the Vienna Convention, ”Borrell said in a statement.

Prague also criticized the compilation of the register of unfriendly countries.

On May 14, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek told reporters that the republic is not going to apologize for its policy towards the Russian Federation.

“The decision of the Russian Federation is a confirmation that the Czech Republic reacted correctly to the Vrbetice case, and that the Czech reaction had such a strong influence on Russia that it was deemed necessary to include us on the list of unfriendly countries together with the United States.

I am proud to have been able to take part in the preparation and implementation of this Czech reaction, ”Hamacek said.

The appearance of the list was preceded by a serious aggravation of Russia's relations with the United States and the Czech Republic, caused by the ambiguous actions of officials in Washington and Prague.

On March 17, US President Joe Biden, in an interview with ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos, answered in the affirmative whether he considered his Russian counterpart a “killer”.

In response, Moscow recalled its ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, for consultations on "ways of straightening out Russia-US ties, which are in dire straits."

Today the diplomat is still in the Russian Federation.

In mid-April, the United States imposed another package of sanctions against Moscow and expelled ten Russian diplomats.

The leadership of the Russian Federation responded with mirror measures.

In addition to sending American diplomats home, the Russian Foreign Ministry limited the practice of using the United States embassy "short-term seconded by the State Department to ensure the functioning of diplomatic missions."

Also, the Russian Foreign Ministry reminded American colleagues of systematic violations of the rules for traveling around the country.

In this regard, Moscow canceled the 1992 bilateral memorandum of Understanding on the Open Land.

The purpose of the restrictions is to stop the activities of American foundations and non-governmental organizations controlled by the State Department and other government agencies of the United States, amid Washington's reluctance to "reduce the scope of its subversive efforts," the Foreign Ministry explained.

  • The building of the US Embassy on Novinsky Boulevard in Moscow

  • RIA News

  • © Vitaly Belousov

With regard to the Czech Republic, Moscow also went to the expulsion of diplomats.

True, this measure was reciprocal.

On April 17, the Czech government accused Moscow of involvement of its special services in the explosions at ammunition depots in Vrbetica in 2014 and announced the expulsion of 18 employees of the Russian mission in Prague.

The Russian Foreign Ministry called the suspicions of the Czech side a "marasmic parade" and declared 20 diplomats persona non grata.

At present, Prague expects to receive information from Moscow on organizing the work of the embassy after the republic is included in the list of unfriendly countries. 

Distinct designation

According to experts, the emergence of such a register, in which the United States and the Czech Republic were included, became a natural and logical stage in Russia's policy to "bring to life" the authorities and the diplomatic corps of these states.

According to Vladimir Vinokurov, the restrictions imposed by the Russian Federation related to the activities of representatives of the United States and the Czech Republic are caused by the response of the Russian Federation to absurd accusations and accusations.

Now, according to the expert, Washington and Prague will take a more balanced approach to the issue of introducing new sanctions and attacks on Russian diplomats.

“Here it is permissible to talk about a certain psychological impact when Western diplomats are taken out of their comfort zone.

For example, I am sure that the ban on hiring Russians became a very unpleasant measure for the Americans, which added problems in the technical organization of the embassy's work, ”Vinokurov said.

He believes that the list and the list of restrictions indicated in it can be expanded.

The addition of the register, from Vinokurov's point of view, will be carried out primarily with an eye to the scale of specific unfriendly actions against Moscow.

Dmitry Abzalov called the appearance of the list of unfriendly states a tactful diplomatic response of the Russian Federation to the definitions of Russia as an "enemy" and "competitor", which are replicated in doctrinal documents and statements by Western states.

Thus, Moscow has created its own original terminology.

“Russia does not publicly refer to the United States and its allies as“ opponents ”.

Apparently, one of the goals of creating the list is precisely to identify such countries more clearly.

A different order has been adopted overseas: there all disloyal states are entirely called either "opponents" or "competitors," Abzalov explained.

Pavel Feldman assesses the emergence of a list of unfriendly countries as Moscow's readiness to call "things by their proper names" and continue to defend their interests in the context of the aggravated geopolitical situation.

“It is very difficult to use the term“ partners ”in relation to the United States and its allies.

Such an honor must be earned.

But the registry, from my point of view, is not only about that.

It is filled with real content and demonstrates Russia's readiness in any case to implement a sovereign foreign policy course, ”Feldman summed up.