Why the West, especially Europe, needs Russia

... Russia. The NATO-Russia Council, despite being a forum for consultation and airing grievances, was suspended, and Russia has been de facto expelled from the G8. Despite this, Russia continues to show its influence on critical international issues, with Syria being just the most recent example. After over two years of talking about the threat Russia poses and how the West can mitigate it, it is worthwhile to remind ourselves why the West, and in particular Europe, needs Russia. Four key issues stand out: First, in terms of international peace and security, Russia holds a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. The veto this provides has already been used to block Western action in a number of situations,...