Carnegie Moscow Center
Putin’s new foreign policy doctrine has control as its true objective, sovereignty as its slogan, and nationalism as its soul.
The interpretation of Eurasia as the post-Soviet space is now outdated. This area is only a part of the vast but increasingly crowded region that is set to become the center of world development in the 21st century.
Russian arms sales to China’s neighbors like India and Vietnam are not conscious acts by Moscow intended to damage the Russian-Chinese relationship.
At the start of the Obama administration’s second term, it is unclear how Washington and Moscow will approach relations going forward.
Relations between the EU and Russia are changing. By dissociating Russia from the West, Putin may aim to position Moscow to hold inescapable influence going forward.
Though Russia’s relations with the West have deteriorated over 2012, it is important for Moscow and the Western countries to “rediscover” each other and to develop a strategic relationship.
As the Russians recognize that the current Syrian regime is likely to be overwhelmed by its opponents, there is a chance that Moscow and the West could finally reconcile their positions on Syria.
The Magnitsky Act, passed by the U.S. Congress, and the Russian response to it can be seen as further evidence of the complicated and worsening relationship between Washington and Moscow.
The United States and Russia face a fundamental choice: to continue their transactional approach to relations or to put relations in a broader, longer-term strategic framework.
Barack Obama’s second term has the chance to become the vindication of his Nobel Peace Prize, but he will need to craft a very careful course on Iran, be wise on China, and become strategic on Russia.