As America-Russia relations continue to sour over the Russia-Georgia conflict, it is unclear how the two nations will be able to rebuild their relationship. In an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered, James F. Collins asserts, “we’ve had a tremendous failure of diplomacy.”
Although the conflict led to the current deterioration in relations, problems between the two countries were present before. Collins explains, “I am not sure how our dealings with Russia have mirrored the changes that have taken place there. And at the same time, [the Russians] have nursed a lot of grudges that having made a comeback, having achieved recovery, they are still being treated like they were in 1995.”
Despite calls for punishing Russia in Washington, there is a need for improved dialogue between the United States and Russia.