TO THE QUESTION OF CHANGES IN THE STRATEGY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION NATIONAL SECURITY IN 2021

The paper considers a number of changes made to the Strategy of the Russian Federation National Security, which was approved by the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation on July 2, 2021, in comparison with the previous strategy approved in 2015. The study is important since a new strategy has been recently enacted, and a uniform understanding of the key concepts reflected in this document seems essential. Some issues related to the fixed definitions of such concepts as “national security of the Russian Federation”, “national interests of the Russian Federation”, “strategic national priorities of the Russian Federation”, “national security protection”, “threat to national security”, “national security protection system” are analyzed. The study compares the definition of the concept “national security” fixed in the Strategy of the Russian Federation National Security, which was approved in 2021, with the options for other definitions given in the similar documents that were previously in force in Russia during the post-Soviet period of Russian history. The study additionally focuses on the transformation of national interests of the Russian Federation, which are enlisted in the recent strategy. In particular, the paper discusses the wording “saving the people of Russia, developing human potential, improving the quality of life and the well-being of citizens”. The author emphasizes that undervaluation of the strategic importance of the social sphere as a security factor in the course of economic and political reforms may cause threat of loss of citizens’ confidence in government officials, which, under certain conditions, can lead society and the country to a constitutional crisis and the collapse of federal status.