Commentary
The acknowledgment has sparked fears of a new arms race with China and Russia.
Chris O’Meara
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Source: Getty
(Re)Engaging Russia in an Era of Uncertainty
Russian policy makers need to open space for public debate and engage in substantive discussions on critical global issues, and Western governments and institutions need to open the door to independent Russian voices.
Published on Jan 6, 2010
The Kremlin was able to consolidate its domestic authority and assert itself globally during Russia’s economic boom, but economic, security, and governance crises have shaken Moscow’s confidence. If it is to overcome its current challenges, Moscow must begin thinking strategically. To do this, policy makers need to open space for public debate and engage in substantive discussions on critical global issues—and Western governments and institutions need to open the door to independent Russian voices—contends a new paper by Sam Greene and Dmitri Trenin.
Key Conclusions:
- As the Kremlin centralized power, leaders cut themselves off from public feedback, leading to a disconnect between realities on-the-ground and several disastrous policy initiatives.
- While the Kremlin is slowly beginning to open itself to outside opinions, it must rebuild trust and goodwill among public officials and nongovernmental experts if it is to revive a truly constructive dialogue.
- Russia has failed to engage on key global issues—including financial regulation, climate change, and the “responsibility to protect”—and risks further marginalization. When it has made proposals, they are so far out of synch with global thinking that they fail to elicit a productive response.
While these challenges must be addressed by the Russian people and their leaders, the West can help:
- Moscow is aware of its own weakness. There is no benefit for Western leaders in reiterating the point.
- An institutionalized relationship based on treaties, membership of international organizations, and global cooperation is the best course of action. A bilateral relationship based solely on a personal bond between leaders allows the Kremlin to avoid tackling real issues.
- President Obama’s approach on his first trip to Russia—depersonalized and pragmatic—struck exactly the right tone.
The authors conclude:
“If the West seeks to exploit Russia’s absence for its own competitive advantage, a future democratic Russia will rightly feel it has been mistreated, and Russia’s nationalists and isolationists will once again win the day. Eventually, Russia’s interests will have to be taken into account, and there is no reason that moment has to wait until the Kremlin learns to express them clearly and constructively.”
About the Authors
Dmitri Trenin
Former Director, Carnegie Moscow Center
Trenin was director of the Carnegie Moscow Center from 2008 to early 2022.
Sam Greene
Former Deputy Director for Operations, Moscow Center
Sam Greene was a deputy director for operations at the Moscow Center. He joined the Moscow Center in 2005. Previously, he was senior media program advisor for the New Eurasia Foundation, and a London and Moscow correspondent for FT Business.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
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