International Herald Tribune Editorial: Rudeness, Realism and Russia
International Herald Tribune Editorial: Rudeness, Realism and Russia
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: May 18, 2007
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, held back-to-back meetings with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to try to calm overheated East-West tensions. The Russians obliged with soothing pronouncements, including an agreement that mutual recriminations should be toned down.
That is good to hear after Putin's latest rude outburst, an implied comparison of the United States to Nazi Germany. But if the rhetoric has been lowered a notch, all the conflicts remain intact.
There was no visible bridging of sharp differences on volatile strategic issues like independence for Kosovo, sanctions on Iran, or new American missiles in Europe. Nor was there any resolution of the multiple economic disputes hanging over this week's two-day European-Russian summit meeting on the Volga River, ranging from Moscow's exclusion of Polish meat to Lithuania's complaints about unreliable Russian oil deliveries.
The problem for the West is that it is dependent on Russian energy yet must deal with a country that subjects its customers to mercurial policy changes and is enormously sensitive to anything it perceives as an insult to its dignity, particularly if it involves countries it once dominated.
One result is that the debate about how to deal with Russia is often couched as a choice between humoring it or confronting it. It does not have to be.
Western leaders must work with Russia to differentiate between the issues on which cooperation is of mutual importance and benefit - energy, Iran, Kosovo, terrorism - and irritants more suitable to quiet diplomacy.
For the European Union, part of the challenge is to convince former Soviet satellites like Poland that their dislike of Russia, however justified, cannot become a permanent veto on dealings with Moscow. For Washington, it means learning to treat Moscow as a partner on matters where Russia really does have interests and clout. The greatest challenge is for the Russians - to get over their debilitating rancor and responsibly engage the world they are so keen to join.
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: May 18, 2007
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, held back-to-back meetings with Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to try to calm overheated East-West tensions. The Russians obliged with soothing pronouncements, including an agreement that mutual recriminations should be toned down.
That is good to hear after Putin's latest rude outburst, an implied comparison of the United States to Nazi Germany. But if the rhetoric has been lowered a notch, all the conflicts remain intact.
There was no visible bridging of sharp differences on volatile strategic issues like independence for Kosovo, sanctions on Iran, or new American missiles in Europe. Nor was there any resolution of the multiple economic disputes hanging over this week's two-day European-Russian summit meeting on the Volga River, ranging from Moscow's exclusion of Polish meat to Lithuania's complaints about unreliable Russian oil deliveries.
The problem for the West is that it is dependent on Russian energy yet must deal with a country that subjects its customers to mercurial policy changes and is enormously sensitive to anything it perceives as an insult to its dignity, particularly if it involves countries it once dominated.
One result is that the debate about how to deal with Russia is often couched as a choice between humoring it or confronting it. It does not have to be.
Western leaders must work with Russia to differentiate between the issues on which cooperation is of mutual importance and benefit - energy, Iran, Kosovo, terrorism - and irritants more suitable to quiet diplomacy.
For the European Union, part of the challenge is to convince former Soviet satellites like Poland that their dislike of Russia, however justified, cannot become a permanent veto on dealings with Moscow. For Washington, it means learning to treat Moscow as a partner on matters where Russia really does have interests and clout. The greatest challenge is for the Russians - to get over their debilitating rancor and responsibly engage the world they are so keen to join.
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 7:07 AM
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