... instead of solving them. Unfortunately, the idea behind «resilience of the surrounding regions» is in fact a continuation of the same logic, which has set the EU at loggerheads with Russia. If to decipher it, the plan is to work through NGOs in those countries in-between the EU and Russia, which political establishments do not suite some EU member states or non- European countries, to «hold governments accountable». It seems that this might be a creative way to describe a regime change from within with a support of outside ...
... Moscow and, therefore, should be the subject of a very specific, detailed and honest discussion.
Kadri Liik also writes about the need to engage Russia’s civil society. As a person who has spent most of his professional life leading various Russian NGOs, I wholeheartedly support this proposal. At the same time, my personal experience tells me that quite often the Western approach to the Russian civil society is similar to the Brussels acquis communautaire approach in dealing with EU partners. The West decides who can and who cannot represent Russian civil society as well as how to grade Russian NGOs according to the focus of their activities, methods, and sources of their funding. This approach has never been productive in the ...
