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DO RUSSIA AND THE WEST FACE A NEW COLD WAR?

ALEKSANDR RAHR,
Director of Russia, Ukraine/Eurasia programs, German Council on Foreign Policy, Coordinator of EU-Russia Forum (in cooperation with the European Commission), Germany

I believe that there will be no Cold War between Russia and the West. Though there are many misunderstandings connected with the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s speech in Munich.

But should Russia and the West face real challenges, they will join forces, as it was after September 11, 2001.

For all that, I would not underestimate the current events. The EU has something that discourages Russia and vice versa. Putin’s speech in Munich reminds some of 2003 when a half of Europeans opted for joining the U.S. military operation in Iraq and the other half did not. These days the EU is divided about Russia.

The German public, for instance, welcomed Putin’s address. Germany’s high-ranking officials favored the Russian President’s address.

At the same time, the U.S. anti-missile defense in the European countries seems to be not an offensive weapon but a fence the Europeans are erecting against God knows who.

Given the current situation we can ask why Russia is not included in this system. All the more that for military and technological reasons, it would be better to deploy the anti-missile defense system in Russia than in the Czech Republic and Poland.

I do not think that the situation is hopeless. I suggest that Russia together with Ukraine and the other CIS countries represent its technical base for the anti-missile system, and partly adjust it with the European one.

I believe that the conflict around the anti-missile defense and the like do not give ground to speak about the Cold War. However, Russia and the West need mechanisms to stabilize the situation.

The text is based on Aleksandr Rahr’s address to the press-conference “Do Russia and the West Face a New Cold War?” organized by RIA Novosti as part of the 15^th Anniversary Assembly of the Public Association “Council on the foreign and defense policy” (SVOP).

March 19, 2007

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