Carnegie Moscow Center
Russia is demanding to be treated as an equal partner in its relationship with the EU, but Brussels had long ignored this shift, and EU-Russian relations have stagnated as a result. It is time for a fundamental rethink of the EU’s Russia policy.
Russian-American relations today represent islands of targeted and productive cooperation in the midst of a sea of official mistrust and media negativism. It is in the interest of both countries to reclaim new areas of collaboration and to navigate their differences better.
In 2013 Russia’s foreign policy has finally assumed a new quality, something which will probably last. This foreign policy makes Russia much more of an international player than ever before in the last quarter-century.
Vladimir Putin’s respectful message on the passing of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon proves that to quite a few Russian supporters of a strong state, Israel is the ideal in terms of the cohesion existing between the state and the nation, the effectiveness of and coordination among the military, intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, and defense of its interests.
Today, the Russian leaders position themselves as defenders of Europe’s 19th century values which marked the continent’s heyday, against what they term as ultra-liberalism. The value gap between the EU and Russia has gained a new dimension.
As the Kremlin confronts a weakening of the props that have enabled it to maintain power, Putin has turned to imperialism as a support for Russian authoritarianism.
Eurasia Outlook returns in 2014 and in the months ahead it will focus on the issues that are likely to shape the future of Eurasia.
The war the terrorists are waging against Russia is for real, and their threats are not empty. Sochi is probably highest on the terrorists’ hit list, and Moscow is another prime target. However, for the time being, the terrorists have focused on some of the softer targets in the south of Russia.
In 2013, Europe was a peaceful place, but elsewhere in Eurasia, things were not as peaceful. This eventful year promises an interesting 2014.
Edward Snowden revealed a lot not only about the National Security Agency activities, but also about the state of the world.