Carnegie Moscow Center
U.S.-Russian security relations extend beyond the crucial New START Treaty; both the United States and Russia recognize the need for engaging in broader security cooperation.
When he met with President Obama in Washington, Russian President Medvedev’s chief goals were to continue the trend of the reset in U.S.-Russian relations and to further his domestic modernization and economic development initiative.
After the New START Treaty was signed on April 8, 2010, U.S. and Russian authorities turned their attention from nuclear disarmament to other matters. However, crises in the nonproliferation regime and U.S.-Russian relations could arise all too soon, if the two governments do not continue to address bilateral nuclear disarmament.
While the focus of the meeting between Russian President Medvedev and U.S. President Obama will be on economic and technological cooperation, major security issues—including Iran sanctions, the U.S.–Russian civilian nuclear cooperation agreement, and arms control—will also be on the agenda.
The mood surrounding Dmitry Medvedev’s trip to Silicon Valley and to Washington, D.C., is noticeably more positive than during previous visits, as a result of the reset in U.S.-Russian relations.
Modern Russian must overcome a number of internal and external pressures in the course of its struggle to determine its role in the changing global community.
Three simple steps can help reassure the American people that their elected officials have their security interests foremost in mind as they debate the merits of the new START and set high standards for future U.S. policy and treaty deliberations.
The U.S. administration and politicians in Moscow have sharply divergent views on the ‘reset’ in bilateral relations. Where U.S. officials see dialogue, compromises, and concessions as a means of winning over the other side, the Russian elite considers dialogue to be a sign of weakness.
The crisis in Kyrgyzstan presents an opportunity for the three multilateral groups working in the area to do real, immediate good while building trust and demonstrating that cooperation is possible in the increasingly interconnected and fragile Eurasian security space.
The financial crisis has exposed the weaknesses in a number of national and international financial institutions. It has also created the opportunity to develop an integrated regulatory framework for the global financial sector.