Economic growth during the Putin years, combined with the defeat of Georgia – which was regarded in Russia as the beginning of a great political comeback – provided the confidence needed to embrace efforts to re-model the transatlantic security architecture. Medvedev’s proposed transatlantic security treaty would enshrine the principle of avoiding external force to resolve national disputes, which would rule out international intervention in the conflicts affecting the northern Caucasus, including Chechnya.
对西方日益不满的情绪使得俄罗斯领导人开始着眼于“超级大国”、“势力范围”等概念，相信国际关系是一场零和游戏，西方之所赢即俄罗斯之所输。因此，他们不再接受强大的多边机构、信心、合作以及相互依存可以保证国际安全的观点。相反，俄罗斯失去超级大国地位是不可容忍的。