... the USSR, and the depiction of large Russian-speaking communities as a fifth column leading to tensions that exist to this day. After a while, problems have accumulated, and Russia's unchanging attitude pushed the three Baltic republics towards the Western institutions: NATO and the European Union. In the midst of these problems, Russia has yet to change its attitude towards the Baltic states. Moscow preferred to talk to the 'old Europe' over the heads of Russia's closest Western neighbors. Russia still expects that Brussels, Berlin ...
... the rise in individualism was the increase in the level of economic development, though this relationship had some significant exceptions: “the fact that most of the countries that did not show an increase in individualist values were among the lowest in socioeconomic development over the time period examined is consistent with the observation that socioeconomic development drove the rise in individualism. China is an exception to this pattern, showing a decrease in individualist values even though ...
...?” The title drew a line under a long period of world history and held out the promise of a perpetual liberal world order. The latter had proved its worth by winning the fierce 20th-century confrontation without firing a single shot.
Yet, today’s Western world is being swept by a pessimism bordering on panic. Just a couple of years ago, the advocates of the rules-based liberal world order acted confidently, arguing that there was no real alternative to it and that temporary difficulties would ...
... objectives:
pursuing security and survival of the regime;
developing and maintaining great-power status;
exerting influence within the near abroad in order to pull these countries into its sphere of influence;
increasing cooperation and trade with Western Europe;
undermining enlargement of the European Union and NATO into the post-Soviet space.
It is assumed that Moscow will use “measures short of war” as a tactic. This term was introduced by George Kennan in the late 1940s to denote the hostile actions of the USSR and spanning a broad ...
...
ELN
), the Munich Security Conference (
MSC
), the Russian International Affairs Council (
RIAC
), and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (
NTI
)—have been working with former and current officials and experts from a group of Euro-Atlantic states and the European Union to test ideas and develop proposals for improving security in areas of existential common interest. The EASLG operates as an independent and informal initiative, with participants who reflect the diversity of the Euro-Atlantic region from ...
... modernization, the rapid growth in Russian prosperity and the impressive improvement in the Russian infrastructure were amply demonstrated by the success of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Putin and his administration still remain a powerful engine of Russia’s Western-style modernization. In that sense, we can only admire the president’s determination to maintain the country’s pro-Western course — which is especially impressive given the ongoing foreign policy confrontation with the West.
In the West ...
... for Russia: European Security Institutions Since 1989” written by William Hill. RIAC Website Editor Anastasia Tolstukhina discussed with the author the evolution of relations between Russia and NATO, the reasons behind the crisis between East and West, Russia’s place in the world politics and other questions. William Hill is professor emeritus of national security strategy at the National War College (Washington DC); he retired from Foreign Service after serving in various European countries,...
... understanding of the European future and for a consorted EU–Russia effort at building a shared Greater Europe? Most likely, it would not. The Ukrainian conflict, as important as it is, should not overshadow more fundamental divisions between the East and the West; these divisions are not likely to disappear any time soon.
Andrey Kortunov:
Europe and Russia: Four Scenarios for the New Cycle
Diverging visions of the European future
Even during the honeymoon of the Russian-EU cooperation in early 2000s Moscow ...
The second episode of the Meeting Russia interview with Ivan Timofeev, program director of RIAC, about Ukraine, the EU’s sanctions against Russia and Russian think tanks.
The second episode of the Meeting Russia interview with Ivan Timofeev, RIAC Director of Programs, about Ukraine, the EU’s sanctions against Russia and Russian think tanks.
... democracy will be popular again. Sooner or later, Russia will be part of the common European market. In his first two terms as president, Vladimir Putin very much shared this vision: He was very keen to consider a Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok. But the West was not welcoming. It wasn’t ready. I’m not saying that the European Union shouldn’t have expanded into Eastern Europe, but it was quite clear at the time that the expansion would hurt relations because of all the historical problems between Russia and its Eastern European neighbors.
Don’t get me wrong: I ...
