Carnegie Moscow Center
If the “reset” in U.S.-Russia relations does not help achieve a genuine movement towards Russia’s political liberalization, then it risks legitimizing the Kremlin's system of personalized power.
Although the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, which aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries on a broad range of shared interests, appears promising so far, the two sides must work together closely to ensure it continues to produce results.
The ability of the United States and Russia to cooperate on matters of global importance could affect a wide range of important issues from arms control to climate change.
In November, NATO will meet in Lisbon to craft a new Strategic Concept and address the future of its nuclear posture, which has caused controversial debate in recent months both within the Alliance and externally.
The results of the American midterm elections, held on November 2, could have an impact on the U.S.-Russia relationship and on key agenda items, including New START, the 123 agreement, and Russia’s accession to the WTO.
When NATO leaders convene in November, they will undertake a reexamination of the alliance’s policy on nuclear weapons, a review that, spurred by recent nonproliferation initiatives, could split NATO’s members if not handled carefully.
The recent summit between France, Germany, and Russia led to no major developments, but it laid the path toward further improving Russia’s relations with its neighbors and toward a serious discussion about creating a security community spanning North America, Europe, and Russia.
To promote political change in Moscow, the West must hold Russia’s elite accountable and provide incentives to help encourage true democratic behavior in Russia.
Mutual understanding and cooperation between the United States, China, and other countries is essential for overcoming the challenges facing the nonproliferation regime.
Prominent Russian political scientist Georgy Arbatov, founder and first director of the Institute for U.S. and Canada Studies and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, passed away on October 1, 2010. He was 87.