The Influence of American Isolationism on the Economic Development of Russia after the 2008 crisis

Abstract

The article analyzes the influence of contemporary American isolationism on Russia’s foreign economic strategy. The relevance of the study is determined by the transformation of US foreign policy after the global financial crisis of 2008-2009, when Washington shifted from liberal internationalism to a selective model of global engagement that combines the rejection of direct military commitments with the instrumentalisation of economic institutions. The aim of the article is to identify the mechanisms through which American isolationism affects the Russian economy and to show how sanctions pressure has led to a structural restructuring of Russia’s financial system, industry and energy exports. The methodological basis of the research includes the institutional approach and the case study method. The authors draw on official documents (U.S. national security strategies, Russian foreign policy concepts), statistical data from central banks and international organizations, as well as sector specific analytics. The study finds that American isolationism does not mean an even reduction of the US global presence, but rather a concentration of resources on containing key competitors, including Russia. Sanctions, denial of access to financial infrastructure and technological restrictions have forced Russia to accelerate the creation of parallel payment systems (SPFS, digital ruble), de dollarise its reserves, reorient energy flows towards Asia and develop sanctions-evasion mechanisms through the EAEU. The study showed that American isolationism, paradoxically, accelerates the disintegration of universal institutional monocentrism and contributes to the formation of competing systems of global governance. Russia, being at the forefront of this process, is becoming one of the active subjects of institutional design, and its cooperation with BRICS and the Global South is acquiring systemic importance for the future world order.