Carnegie Moscow Center
Russia remains hobbled by an unfulfilled need to diversify its economy and to strengthen the independence of its economic and judicial systems. A global turnaround will not solve these problems.
Preventing Russia’s economic, social, and political collapse requires effective leadership, cooperation and patience, and government acknowledgment that the crisis has domestic dimensions.
Unlike what has recently been alleged, the world is not experiencing a new Cold War. Today’s chill in U.S.-Russia relations rests on Russia’s belief that what is good for the West is inherently bad for Russia. Jumping headlong into a confrontation would be a bad idea though for the West. Instead, Western leaders should show that we can gain more from partnership.
For the third year in a row, the G-8 summit is set to be a largely Russian show. At the St. Petersburg meeting in 2006, Russia made its debut as host, showing off its newfound prosperity on a grand scale for the first time. In 2007, in Heiligendamm, Germany, observers watched for signs of Russia's future course during Vladimir Putin's last summit as president. This year, in Hokkaido, all eyes will be on Dmitry Medvedev; they'll be looking for signs of any real difference between his presidency and that of his predecessor. They are not likely to find it.
Russia-watchers breathed a sigh of relief Monday with the news that Vladimir Putin had selected his successor. Finally, we knew the name of Russia's next president: Dmitry Medvedev. The initial consensus was, it could have been worse. But what we learned on Monday is dwarfed by what we still do not know about Russia's immediate future.