Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
Two factors affect Putin and his movement toward the West, said Shevtsova. The first is the readiness and capability of the West to suggest a more sophisticated strategy for integration with Russia. Second, the success of the next stage of transformation might mean that Putin will be required to undo what he has done so far.
Ukraine recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of its independence from the USSR, and for the past decade, Ukrainians have coasted on the euphoria of that one event, he noted. Today that is no longer enough; Ukraine needs economic growth, social development and democratization.
Russia's transition from authoritarianism is far from complete, however as preoccupied as Washington is with its new campaign against terrorism, inattention to the fragility of Russian democracy would be a huge mistake -- and one that could have serious negative consequences for American security.
Roundtable on the rule of law at the Carnegie Endowment
Ten years after the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war, it is striking how many remnants of that era remain. Partly as a result of Russia's slow progress in becoming a "Western" country, European and American leaders are reconsidering the kind of relationship they wish to cultivate with Russia.
Roundtable on the rule of law at the Carnegie Endowment