The State Duma Committee on International Affairs has relaunched the work of its Expert Council, chaired by Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club and RIAC member. The first meeting was attended by Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and RIAC member, and was devoted to the topic: “Transatlantic Pressure on Russia: Near-Term Prospects and Limits of Escalation.”
Members of the Expert Council include RIAC representatives: Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club and member of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy; Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) at the Higher School of Economics; and Ivan Timofeev, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).
The State Duma Committee on International Affairs has relaunched the work of its Expert Council, chaired by Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club and RIAC member. The first meeting was attended by Sergey Ryabkov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Russia and RIAC member, and was devoted to the topic: “Transatlantic Pressure on Russia: Near-Term Prospects and Limits of Escalation.”
Key discussion points included:
- The Russia–U.S. relations
- The conflict in Ukraine
- Europe: Common sense vs. the “Party of War.” How to respond to new sanctions and attempts to expropriate Russia’s sovereign assets
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, RIAC member Sergey Ryabkov:
The current state of relations between Russia and the West has its own history and rather deep-rooted causes. The main one is Western expansion—military, economic, cultural, and ideological—eastward, toward our country’s borders and into the post-Soviet space. This expansion continued for decades with almost complete disregard for Russia’s vital interests, above all in the field of security. We have repeatedly called on those who belong to the collective West to address the contradictions they themselves created in the area of security, especially European security.
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, RIAC member Leonid Slutsky:
There are now more “reasonable” people emerging, including in the European Parliament. However, the political leadership still remains far from understanding the root causes of the Ukrainian crisis and seeks to improve its near-zero approval ratings by fueling Russophobic hysteria. The actual resources of the EU bureaucracy are depleted; billions of euros—about €180 billion in total EU assistance to Kyiv since 2022—have been thrown into the chaos of a war fought “to the last Ukrainian.” To continue sponsoring Kyiv in the West’s hybrid confrontation with Russia, various ways of legalizing the seizure—or, more plainly, schemes for the theft—of Russia’s illegally frozen gold and foreign currency reserves are now being actively discussed. So far, Belgium’s position has prevented this interstate conspiracy, but the issue remains on the agenda.
Chairman of the Expert Council, RIAC member Fyodor Lukyanov:
A negotiated settlement of the Ukrainian crisis does not currently appear likely, and even if progress were made in that direction, it would not imply an end to the confrontation between Russia and the West. The forms of this confrontation may vary, but given the current configuration of interests as understood by both sides, they remain irreconcilable. The most optimistic scenario is therefore to manage the confrontation and keep it within controllable limits. Shifts within the Western community are possible, as the current ruling circles are largely discredited and are losing their footing, particularly in Europe. However, such changes will not bring about a qualitative transformation in relations with Russia.
Members of the Expert Council include RIAC representatives: Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Valdai Discussion Club and member of the Presidium of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy; Vasily Kashin, Director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies (CCEIS) at the Higher School of Economics; and Ivan Timofeev, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC).
