Articles

The Moscow Times

This month, Russia lost two jet fighters during military exercises that simulated a major war with NATO. A naval task force was deployed in the North Atlantic on a mission to intercept and destroy U.S. reinforcements heading to the European theater of war.

 

The Moscow Times

The Lithuanian government has denied Moscow's requests to hand over a Russian pilot whose fighter jet crashed in the NATO member's territory after violating its airspace, saying it must first complete an investigation.

Russia Profile
What 147 Million People Consider to be the “Good Life”
 As Russia searches for its “special path” in foreign and domestic policy and debate in the country continues about its identity in the world, the issue of values emerges more and more often in statements by Russian officials and their foreign counterparts. Questions of this type have become the core of the debate on the future of the EU-Russia partnership and represent, for some, a stumbling block for further rapprochement with the West. Besides, the country’s system of values is a crucial factor that determines economic growth and further development. Not surprisingly, President Vladimir Putin expounded on the topic this year during his annual address.

The problem of the status of the Kaliningrad region, its preservation in the structure of the Russian Federation depends on the answers that will be given on challenges of the time. Could the USA (Atlanticist pole) carry out the functions of the global control individually? What is the place and the role of Europe in the “the new world order”? What is the place and the role of Russia in the unipolar world?

Authors:

Stephen Dewar

From a news report: “The beginning of July almost saw one of those epochal events that define the future of European-Russian relationships.  Tony Blair was there, in his capacity as President of the European Council.  José Manuel Barroso was there as President of the European Commission.  The presidents of the Baltic States and of Poland were also there, flanking Russian President, Vladimir Putin.  Together, they celebrated the 750th anniversary of Kaliningrad (prior to 1945 Koenigsberg in East Prussia) and cracked open the champagne as Kaliningrad State University was formally renamed after Immanuel Kant, Kaliningrad/Koenigsberg’s most famous son and one of the most important intellectual forerunners to the European peace project, otherwise known as the European Union.  President Putin hinted that, in due course, the name of this Russian region might also be changed to something incorporating Kant’s name as a sign of growing EU-Russian integration.

 

Russia reaffirmed its commitment to Kaliningrad Saturday, as President Vladimir Putin marked the 750 years since the founding of the tiny Baltic Sea territory separated from the rest of Russia since the Soviet collapse.

As the Russian city of Kaliningrad, formerly a Prussian enclave called Kцnigsberg, celebrates its 750th anniversary over the weekend, residents still have mixed feelings when it comes to accepting the city's German past.

The leaders of France and Germany on Sunday told President Vladimir Putin of Russia that EU enlargement was an issue for the bloc to decide, not Russia.  Russia has been alarmed at the growth of the European Union to incorporate former Kremlin satellites and its officials have hinted that the crisis besetting the European constitution may be a good moment to put further expansion on hold.  The problem of the constitution and enlargement are "a problem for EU members," Chancellor Gerhard Schrцder of Germany said at a joint news briefing with Putin and President Jacques Chirac of France. "This has nothing to do with what we describe as our strategic partnership with Russia," he added after the meetings in this city outside the Baltic port of Kaliningrad.  Despite differences over enlargement, Putin, Schrцder and Chirac appeared friendly and relaxed in one another's company.  All three will be at the Group of Eight, or G-8, industrial nations summit meeting this week in Gleneagles, Scotland, and their talks touched on the issues of climate change, Africa and United Nations reform that will be on the agenda there.  Chirac said the G-8 leaders, after tough discussions, were "heading toward" an agreement on climate change at the summit meeting being held Wednesday through Friday, but he did not say what deal.  On Iraq, another issue likely to crop up at Gleneagles, Putin said past criticism of the U.S.-led invasion - by countries including France, Russia and Germany - should not get in the way of Iraq's future.  "All contradictions over Iraq should be left in the past," he said. "We must unite with the U.S., with those who are trying to change the situation in Iraq."  The Kaliningrad region, the venue for the meeting Sunday, stands as a symbol of how Russia and the EU are intertwined. Formerly the Prussian city of Kцnigsberg, it is now a Russian exclave encircled by EU territory.  Moscow is worried that if the EU continues its eastward expansion, countries like Ukraine and Georgia could join the bloc next.  The Kremlin is also unhappy at what it sees as anti-Russian sentiment in some former Communist-bloc states now in the EU: Kaliningrad's neighbors Poland and Lithuania were pointedly not invited to the commemoration Sunday.  A senior Kremlin source said on the eve of the talks that the votes in the Netherlands and France rejecting the European constitution - a charter designed to help the bloc's expansion - called for a new look at EU-Russian relations.  But Chirac joined Schrцder in gently rebuffing the idea. "Europe is again undergoing a difficult period, you may call it a crisis," the French president said.  "This crisis will be overcome. In any case, it will not have any consequences for EU-Russian relations."  Kaliningrad, the birthplace of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, was last week celebrating 750 years since it was founded by Teutonic knights. It was signed over to Moscow in the Potsdam accords at the end of World War II.  The region's convoluted history raised a laugh at the news briefing when Schrцder said that for Germans the city will always be Kцnigsberg. But he corrected himself, saying: "Of course, I don't mean any territorial claims."  

(Exclusive Interview with Mr. Alexey IGNATIEV, Director Regional & Transfrontier Cooperation Program Russia, East-West Institute, President of the Association of International Experts on the Development of Kaliningrad Region)

Authors:

By Peter Lavelle

United Press International's Moscow correspondent Peter Lavelle engages Russia experts Dale Herspring, Eric Kraus, Ira Straus, Vlad Sobell, Peter Rutland, Ethan Burger, and Vladimir Frolov on how the current political crisis in Europe will affect EU-Russia relations. The following are excerpts.

UPI. France and the Netherlands have resoundingly voted down the European Union Constitution. The political fallout for the future of the EU has only started. Is this a concern for Russian foreign policy?

Dale Herspring, professor of political science, Kansas State University. "For the Russians, I think the vote in France and Netherlands is good news, very good news! If I were Vladimir Putin, I would be dancing the floors of the Kremlin. Why? For two reasons: First, Moscow faced the prospect of dealing with a much more unified EU at a time when it is still trying to make its economy competitive, trying to establish political stability and create something resembling democracy Russian style. Second, assuming Paris and Berlin dominated the more unified EU, Putin would have found it more difficult to run two foreign policies -- one toward Washington and the other toward Paris and Berlin. Now, however, he is under far less pressure to conform to EU policy."

Eric Kraus, chief strategist, Sovlink Securities, Moscow. "The larger European countries, France in particular, will ... have to find another means to continue their long tradition of punching above their class -- they are almost certain to repatriate the setting of foreign policy from Brussels. Russia will be of overriding importance to "Old Europe". For France, a closer alliance with Russia might allow the illusion of French geopolitical importance to be maintained for a while longer. Certainly, given the shortsighted and narcissistic U.S. policy toward Russia, those countries refusing a unipolar world run from Washington will be keen to fill the diplomatic breach. For Germany (and to a lesser extent, Italy and Spain) it is a matter of vital imperatives. Russia is not only the key energy supplier, without whom Germany freezes in the dark, but it is also the largest, deepest and most liquid export market for Germany, and vitally, does not compete with German enterprises."

Ira Straus, U.S. coordinator of the Committee on Eastern Europe and Russia in NATO. "These realities have not changed. Russia continues to need constructive relations with both the Western countries individually and collectively. If it were to give in to temptation and try to pit the countries against the institutions, its policy would boomerang: any tactical gains would pale before the strategic losses and the distrust it would accumulate. Old Europe would become more like New Europe in its view of Russia and would rush to America for cover. In the end Russia would have to come back again anyway, in worse conditions, to plead for closer relations. It would do better to stay on course in the here and now."

Vlad Sobell, senior economist, Daiwa Research, U.K. "I do not see any reason why Moscow should alter its relations with the European Union, at least in the near term. However, I would suggest that the Kremlin relaxes and enjoys the spectacle. After years of offering Putin unsolicited lectures on how to be democratic, the lecturers themselves are being taken to task by their own populace. The Europeans are tired of their oppressive managed democracy and the lacking checks and balances. They will no longer go along with fraudulent referendums, which are habitually repeated until the establishment gets the 'right answer.'"

Peter Rutland, professor of government, Wesleyan University. "Russia may derive some "schadenfreude" from seeing other nations' politicians screw up. Moscow had warned the European Union against taking in the 10 new eastern members -- and now their reaction could well be 'We told you so,' since the burden of enlargement seems to have tipped the balance of public opinion in France and Holland against approving the new constitution. Such a reaction is shortsighted, however. First, Jacque Chirac and Gerhard Schroeder were Putin's closest allies, and their careers are now over.

"Second, Russia would have found it easier to deal with a more unified Europe, but now that entity will be delayed for another decade, leaving Moscow to cope with the messy reality of the existing EU bureaucracy."

Ethan S. Burger, scholar-in-residence, School of International Service, American University. "It remains premature to assess whether France's and the Netherlands' rejection of the EU Constitution will be 'good for Moscow.' While a more integrated Europe might serve as a counter-balance to U.S. foreign and economic policy, it might also mean the silencing of minority opinions on critical issues.

"From a population perspective, Russia remains the largest 'European' country, but the country's influence is due largely to its role as a supplier to the EU of energy and raw materials. The referenda will not change this situation."

Vladimir Frolov, Fund for Effective Politics, Moscow. "The dramatic votes in France and in the Netherlands to strike down the EU Constitution will not have a negative impact on Russia-EU relationship in the short term. It will continue to lumber on without significant breakthroughs.

"The legal pillars of the relationship -- the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement or PSA, as well as the recently signed Four Spaces -- will stay in place and both sides will go through the motions to mark some incremental progress here or there. What is likely to be adversely affected by the ensuing turmoil in Brussels will be the focus, the concentration and the ability of the EU to come to agreement on issues important to Russia."