Russia in the digital world: International competition and leadership

Abstract

Technology has become one of the most important spheres in the race for power in the 21st century. The two main technology ecosystems—the American and the Chinese—have clearly taken shape by the beginning of the third decade of this century. A dilemma for Russia in this regard is whether to join one of the existing ecosystems or develop one of its own. The paper critically examines the impact of contemporary trends in the digital domain on international relations and state policies, weighs up Russia's competitive advantages and the challenges in this domain, and charts a strategy that Moscow should follow in the modern world of digital competition.