Given that Vladimir Putin retained a great deal of power during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev, there are unlikely to be any major changes in Russian strategy toward the United States.
If Putin is re-elected president, he is likely to seek to maintain continuity and stability in a time of economic uncertainty and his return will not significantly alter Russian domestic politics or the U.S.-Russia reset.
If Russian Prime Minister Putin is elected Russia’s next president, it will likely not have a significant impact on the success of the reset in U.S.-Russian bilateral relations.
Given that Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has probably been involved in the U.S.-Russian reset in bilateral relations, a high degree of continuity in Russian policy toward the United States is likely when he becomes president.
Putin’s expected return to the Kremlin comes as little surprise, but it raises questions about President Medvedev’s future, the role of the Russian prime minister, and the nature of the U.S.-Russia relationship.
Although Washington invested in Dmitry Medvedev as Russian president, they also kept in mind the power of Vladimir Putin. With Putin’s decision to return to the presidency in 2012, communication between the two capitals is likely to become more streamlined and straightforward.
The United States must generate more high-value jobs to capitalize on the opportunities presented by a rising China, which is likely to continue to make sustaining double-digit growth a key priority.
The realization that both the United States and the Soviet Union shared an interest in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons led to a 1968 agreement that existing nuclear weapons states would work toward nuclear zero if other states agreed not to develop nuclear weapons.
The Arab Spring is causing tension in the close relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia. There is a growing sense in Riyadh that Saudi and U.S. national security interests may be increasingly divergent.
Following the reset in U.S.-Russian bilateral relations, Moscow continues to be an important partner for Washington in tackling many 21st century problems. By seeking engagement on multiple levels, the two countries can work to strengthen collaboration.