Russian President Putin was invited to a US military base in Alaska, where a red carpet reception was organised in his honour. In the context of the Ukraine-Russia war, there were expectations from US President Trump that a major breakthrough would emerge regarding the Ukraine ceasefire, but the two world leaders made no joint statement. Trump, after the meeting, expressed his views as "no deal until there is a deal".
The location of the meeting was also quite interesting, as just 150 years ago, Alaska was an integral part of Russia and was purchased by Washington for $7.2 million. Although no agreement was reached at the Alaska meeting, numerous segments in the international media are reinforcing the impression that the recent meeting has led to an increase in the influence of Russia under Putin on the global, diplomatic, regional and geostrategic levels. Analysts say that after meeting Trump, Putin has succeeded in ending Russia's diplomatic isolation, while the lack of progress in the Ukrainian ceasefire has sparked a new wave of concern in Ukraine and European countries.
Russian state media celebrated the visit as a diplomatic victory, portraying Putin as a national hero who pulled Moscow out of isolation and demonstrated that peace in Ukraine is impossible without Russian consent. Western media, by contrast, expressed frustration. Although Trump tried to achieve a psychological advantage by inviting Putin to a meeting in the former Russian territory, no announcement of the Ukraine ceasefire has proven to be a blow to his own reputation as a dealmaker, who talked a lot about stopping wars.
Western media is also reporting about Russia's return to the world scene as a superpower. Several reports suggest that the Ukraine war has elevated Russia to a significant player on the diplomatic and military fronts, and now Moscow is emerging from its isolation to shape the future of the world order as a global superpower.
However, the term ‘superpower’, in my view, is defined not only by military might but also by economic strength, technological advancement and the ability to project soft power. During the cold war, the Soviet Union commanded such status: it boasted the world’s second-largest economy, unparalleled military power and strong political influence across much of the globe. Its space programme also symbolised technological prestige and soft power projection. Yet with the Soviet collapse in the 1990s, the US emerged as the sole global superpower.
Even today, Russia has the largest number of nuclear weapons in the world. The Russian army is equipped with hypersonic missiles, air defence systems and modern defence equipment. Russia is also making full use of its aggressive military power in the war in Ukraine and does not accept any kind of pressure at the diplomatic level.
Russia's economic weaknesses prevent it from achieving the status of a global superpower. Russia's economy depends on oil, gas and natural resources. However, Western sanctions after the invasion of Ukraine have caused irreparable economic damage to Russia. In the 1980s, the Soviet Union's economy was the world's second-largest economy. Today, Russia is not even among the world's ten largest economies. Countries that received Soviet aid in the past have also surpassed Russia economically. Today, there is a lack of Russian products in global markets. Although Putin has undoubtedly succeeded in introducing Russia as a major country that can challenge the global system, due to economic factors, Russia does not currently meet the definition of a superpower.
In my view, Russia can certainly be described as a regional player, a formidable military power, and a strategic challenger capable of disrupting the global order. However, to reclaim the status of a full-fledged classical superpower, it must prioritise economic strength, technological advancement, soft power projection and robust geo-strategic alliances to truly establish itself as the rightful successor to the former Soviet superpower.
The writer is a member of the National Assembly and patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.
He tweets/posts @RVankwani
