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Almost undetected, Russia is regaining much of the influence that it lost in the Middle East after the Soviet Union collapsed. Ever since Russia invaded Georgia in August, Arab satellite television and websites have been rife with talk about the region's role in an emerging "new cold war." Is the Arab world's cold war patron really back, and, if so, what will it mean for peace in the region?
At a crucial point in U.S.-Russia relations, many of the former Russian and U.S. ambassadors gathered together and urged both the Russian and U.S. governments to exercise reflection and restraint. In a joint statement released as the culmination of a several-day meeting, the ambassadors called upon the creation of an improved framework for consultations and negotiations between the two nations.
2007 witnessed a "notable setback for global freedom." Some of this is the fault of the Bush administration, whose policies have given democratization a bad name. At the same time, new democracies have not figured out how to secure their new political systems beyond their first elections. Some democratization advocates wonder whether democracy has reached its global limits.
In the wake of the Russia-Georgia conflict, the United States should pursue a comprehensive 12 step strategy towards its relations with Russia. Although this strategy would focus on protecting American national interests, it does not exclude directly speaking with the Russians. Consequently, it stresses that cooperation on certain issues and successful diplomacy are essential for the two nations.
This year’s Valdai Discussion Club— a Kremlin sponsored annual discussion among a wide range of global experts on Russia- focused on Chechnya, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia. However, the Kremlin’s increasing use of this conference as a propaganda tool has raised questions about whether Western specialists should attend future meetings.
Those who argue that the West should be bolder in its response to a newly assertive Russia are using the past to deal with a very different present and a highly uncertain future. The West must first determine what Russia wants and where it is heading and should then structure a security relationship in Europe that would both include Russia and reassure its wary neighbors.
The recent collapse of the ruling coalition in Ukraine reveals a vast schism in the country’s views towards Russia. However, leaders in America, Europe, Russia, and Ukraine need to agree on ways of keeping Ukraine united and at peace because should a clash between Russia and Ukraine occur , it could prove to be more disastrous than the current conflict in Georgia.
As John McCain formally accepts his nomination for president, Russian coverage of the event and the campaign in general has been distanced and sometimes condescending. Instead, the Russian media has mainly been focused on the events in Georgia.
Russia’s aspirations for the next U.S. administration, although taken with a grain of salt, should not be treated as irrelevant. Ideally, from a Russian perspective, the next administration will act on the basis of U.S. interests and avoid unilateralism. Nevertheless, Russia does not seek to supplant the current U.S. system with a different one.
Putin may have succeeded Boris Yeltsin, but he decided to adopt the leadership style of Yury Andropov. This style is reflected in Russia’s current dealings with Georgia, which represent a major foreign policy shift for the country. However, these actions will prove to be harmful for Russia and will reignite its own current ethnic separatist movements.
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