... Russian liberals speak of the growing estrangement of Russia from Europe, they typically advance two explanations. The first is institutional in nature — to wit, that for a quarter-century Russia has not been able to insert itself adequately into the European (EU) and Atlantic (NATO) structures as a full participant or equal partner. One can debate who bears responsibility for this failure, but the fact remains: Russia found itself on the sidelines of the European security order in particular and the ‘European project’ in ...
.... policy.
There are, however, those who disagree. Despite the existence of obvious reasons for improving cooperation within NATO, the current evolution of the Alliance is linked to the transformation of the United States from a source of security in Europe to a source of threats related to the commitments of EU countries as part of NATO. A similar problem (when the major power in alliance turned into a source of threats rather than security for its allies) proved to be the Achilles’ heel of the Warsaw Pact and eventually contributed in no small part to its disintegration. The ...
... and Russia, and the influence of the radical Islamist ideology and its broad appeal, from representatives of the demographic youth boom in the Middle East to quite prosperous descendants of Islamic migrants in Western Europe.
Igor Ivanov:
Russia — Europe: the Need for a Common Vision
NATO was not prepared for the new challenges. The member countries are tasked with increasing their defence spending and purchasing new weapons and equipment. The Ukraine crisis triggered the legitimization of these actions, even though related discussions ...
... appearances by Dr. Henry Kissinger and Senator Sam Nunn.
It is common ground that we are living through a very dangerous period, with “world order” under threat or illusory; that relations between Russia and the USA, and between Russia and leading European members of NATO, have reached a level of hostility not seen for 35 years or more; and that, with new risks being added to old in an increasingly fragmented world, security and stability are vastly harder to achieve than during the bipolar age of the Cold War.
Nunn ...
... nuclear deterrence, Russia would inevitably resort to balancing measures. All this would clearly do nothing to enhance regional security.
Another problem for European security is that the OSCE has failed to become the key inclusive security institution in Europe. That organisation is weak, whereas NATO, by contrast, is growing even stronger. This complicates the task of solving the security dilemma in Europe. The conventional arms race, the disintegration of the INF Treaty, and the development of ABM could further complicate the situation.
These ...
... disinformation: Russia has been orchestrating loans to right-wing parties all over Europe, including (but hardly limited) to France. And Trump and his advisor Bannon have made no secret that they want to ally with and support the same far-right, anti-NATO, pro-Russian parties in Europe that Putin wants to see succeed. Even in just four, let alone eight, years of a Trump presidency, the damage such a coordinated effort could do to the EU and NATO as institutions should not be underestimated, especially as Russia’s successful ...
... limit Russian influence in Ukraine. Unsurprisingly, some of the disputes between Ukraine and Russia involved fighting over gas deals. This all culminated in a January, 2006, shut-off of Russia’s gas flow into Ukraine and therefore into much of Europe as well, which got the vast majority of its gas from pipes passing through Ukrainian territory.
Soon after the shutoff, a new arrangement was made: RUE would now be the exclusive and direct supplier of all natural gas coming from Central Asia ...
... between Putin and Trump or between some of their people, though Putin acting without coordination with Trump's campaign—trying to undermine America and weaken America’s global standing and its position with its allies, most notably NATO allies—is also very much a possibility; so is some sort of combination of these.
Maybe this sounds ridiculous, and it should. But the facts of Trump and his associates’ ties to Putin and Russia are what are most disturbing of all.
...
... through wider civil society dialogue, more balanced media coverage, the preservation of existing economic links and expert discussions. Only this conceptual settlement will reverse the current ‘divide-unite’ split in favour of more unity.
Russia and Europe: Somewhat Different, Somewhat the Same?
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To What Extent Does the U.S. Aegis BMD in Europe Threaten Russia?
In May 2016, the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced that its ballistic missile defence (BMD) base at Deveselu, Romania, had been put into operation. This marked the second phase of the European Phased Adaptive ...
