Putin's Former Adviser Says Russia Is Studying a “Second Turn to the East”

Russia is entering a new debate over the future direction of its economy and foreign economic relations. Former Kremlin adviser and political economist Sergei Karaganov has discussed the idea of a “second turn to the East,” referring to a deeper shift toward Asian markets while placing greater emphasis on Siberia and Russia's Far East as engines of future growth.

The concept of Russia's “turn to the East” is not new. Strategic discussions about the policy emerged in the late 1990s as Russia sought to respond to the growing economic importance of Asia. However, a recent Russian policy study argues that the first turn primarily benefited Pacific Siberia and the Far East, while much of central and western Siberia remained relatively disconnected from Asian markets. A second turn could therefore be broader in both geographical and economic terms.

Under such an approach, Russia's eastern strategy would extend beyond major Far Eastern cities such as Vladivostok. Siberia's vast interior could become more closely integrated into trade and economic links with Asia, with energy, mining, transportation, logistics, agriculture and manufacturing among the sectors likely to receive greater attention.

Russia has already expanded its economic engagement with Asian countries in recent years. As relations with many Western economies have deteriorated and sanctions have disrupted traditional trade routes, Moscow has increasingly focused on China, India, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and other non-Western markets. Analysts say Russian economic diplomacy has increasingly shifted toward the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and other regions outside the traditional Western economic system.

China is particularly important to this strategy. In 2026, Beijing and Moscow continued high-level exchanges and cooperation in areas including energy, trade, transportation and regional development. China's Foreign Ministry has described bilateral relations as stable and resilient, while emphasizing the continued expansion of practical cooperation between the two countries.

Economic pressures are also encouraging Moscow to rethink its traditional trade geography. Western sanctions and changes in energy markets have forced Russia to seek alternative customers, investment channels and transportation routes. For Moscow, Asia represents not only a collection of new export markets but also a potential long-term economic corridor connecting Siberia and the Far East with the broader Asia-Pacific region.

Russia's renewed attention to its eastern territories has been particularly visible in 2026. During the summer, President Vladimir Putin traveled through several Siberian and Far Eastern regions, including Irkutsk, Omsk, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude and Novosibirsk, before attending the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok. The tour highlighted the Kremlin's continued focus on Russia's eastern regions.

Yet a second turn to the East would face significant challenges. Siberia's enormous distances, relatively low population density and high infrastructure costs make large-scale economic development difficult. Russia would need substantial investment in railways, ports, energy infrastructure and industrial capacity to turn its resource base into sustainable economic growth.

The country would also need to adapt to the demands of Asian markets. This involves not only finding new buyers for energy and commodities, but also developing efficient logistics networks, financial settlement systems and higher-value industrial production.

If the “second turn to the East” develops into a long-term national strategy, its consequences could therefore extend far beyond foreign policy. It could reshape Russia's energy exports, industrial geography, infrastructure priorities and regional development model.

For Asian economies, Russia's eastward reorientation could create new opportunities in energy, resources, transportation and infrastructure. At the same time, the scale of those opportunities will depend on Russia's ability to overcome its domestic economic and logistical constraints.

The first turn to the East changed part of Russia's relationship with Asia. A second turn, if implemented, could seek to go considerably deeper — potentially reshaping how Russia sees its place within the wider Eurasian economy.