Russia-West Tensions

by Dr. Abdul Ruff Colachal

(October 06, New Delhi, Sri Lanka Guardian) The fragile nature of Russo-Western relations has got further strained following the Russo-Georgian brief war. After some relative calm between former foes on international arena Russia and Western powers, the world woke up on August 08 when Russia clashed with Georgia to release South Ossetia claiming full independence since 1990 from Georgian forces that entered to take back the region. The Georgia crisis has further complicated Russian relations with USA and sharpened divisions in Europe about how to deal with Russia and splits within NATO over the wisdom of granting membership to Russian neighbors Georgia and Ukraine.

The relationship between these “super powers" have been on an ad-hoc basis. West effectively scuttle any move form Moscow to cement ties with them. Sept 11 offered a golden opportunity for Russians to cling back to the west, but failed miserably, because they don’t “share” values. Russian decision to stay back in Georgia only reiterates the balance of power game. Moscow was internationally condemned for sending troops to Georgia to stop Tbilisi 's attempt to reassert control over the pro-Russian, “separatist” region of South Ossetia . Moscow later recognized South Ossetia and another rebel region, Abkhazia, as independent states, and also signed treaties to protect them from Georgian attack.

Russia cites the U.S. invasion of Iraq "under the false pretext of fight on terror and nuclear arms proliferation" and questions of excessive use of force against civilians in counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan. Moscow called upon the world to “jointly” fight against any infringements upon the international law. This is an essential requirement, if the world is to regain its equilibrium. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on 27 Sept told the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting that the solidarity of the international community fostered on the wave of struggle against terrorism turned out to be somehow “privatized” by USA. Russia called for a revival of the global anti-terrorism coalition that formed after Sept. 11, 2001 but started to unravel with what it called the subsequent domination by a single power — a veiled reference to the USA.

Post Georgia Conflict

The recent crisis over Georgia’s breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia proved again that it is impossible or even disastrous to try to resolve the existing problems in the blindfolds of the unipolar world. Russia called for a new "solidarity" of the international community and a strengthened United Nations, only in the post-Cold War world can the organization "fully realize its potential" as a global center "for open and frank debate and coordination of the world policies on a just and equitable basis free from double standards." Lavrov also lashed out at Georgia's "aggression" and bombing of South Ossetia's sleeping capital of Tskhinvali on Aug. 8 and defended Russia's intervention "to repel aggression" and fulfill its peacekeeping commitments.

Russian position is clear: it says it has a moral duty to defend the regions against what it called "genocide" by Georgia’s military. Russia seeks regime change in Tbilisi ; maintain troops until the final settlement is reached on South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Russia's elite cares mostly about serving private financial interests and maintaining power but that the Georgian conflict might be seen as a" tipping point at which domestic propaganda is beginning to force action abroad." Russian leaders, meanwhile, insist the military offensive into Georgia was prompted by Georgia's recklessness, and are known to be eager for a change in leadership in Tbilisi.

Russia will stay in Georgia until the issues are settled once for all. Lavrov made clear that the "problem" is closed now and the future of the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has been reliably secured by the treaties between Moscow and their governments. Moscow would not brook any challenge to its recognition of the unilateral declarations of independence of the two breakaway provinces. It would strengthen peace and stability and participants would reaffirm the non-use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, territorial integrity and noninterference in another country's affairs.

Georgia disputes this, claiming that the Russian side initiated the conflict and some western analysts have said Russia’s actions heighten the risk of Moscow attempting to exert more influence over other former Soviet territories, particularly Ukraine. West is talking about 'unsentimental approach' to deal with Russia. The USA and the European Union have backed Georgia, contending that the Russian response was disproportionate.

There has been a strong feeling in the West that USA and Europe must not allow Russian actions in Georgia to achieve any benefit. "Not in Georgia. Our strategic goal now is to make it clear to Russia’s leaders that their choices are putting Russia on a one-way path to self-imposed isolation and international irrelevance."

Russo-US Fiasco

The USA has taken a stronger line towards Russia over the Georgia crisis than Europe has, but there is unlikely to be a transatlantic consensus on Russia until a new U.S. administration is settled in next year. President George W. Bush, insisting Georgia’s sovereignty be respected, ordered the Pentagon to deliver aid. U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have both warned Russia of severe, long-term consequences from its conflict with Georgia. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has warned Russia’s integration into international institutions was at risk.

U.S. leaders, in particular, have warned of consequences for the relationship if Russia fails to abide by commitments to withdraw forces from Georgia, which Washington has backed for NATO membership. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates canceled two joint military exercises with Russia scheduled for this month. While dismissing the prospects for a military conflict, he warned Russia if it does not step back what from what he called "its aggressive posture" in Georgia, the U.S.-Russia relationship could suffer lasting damage. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Russia can't use "disproportionate force" against Georgia and remain on track for integration into international institutions. Rice rejected a Russian "sphere of influence" over its neighbors and hoped Russia leaders would "overcome their nostalgia for another time." "We cannot afford to validate the prejudices that some Russian leaders seem to have: that if you pressure free nations enough -- if you bully, and threaten, and lash out -- we will cave in, and forget, and eventually concede".

Condoleezza Rice, a former Soviet expert who has presided over a steady deterioration of relations with Russia, on Sept 18 spoke highly critical of Russia that the West must stand up to "bullying" by Moscow, which is becoming increasingly authoritarian and aggressive and Moscow had taken a "dark turn" that left its global standing worse than at any time since 1991, when it emerged from the fall of the Soviet Union. US opposes Moscow’s invasion of Georgia was part of a pattern that included its use of oil and natural gas as a political weapon, the suspension of a treaty on conventional forces in Europe and a threat to target peaceful nations with nuclear weapons. Rice said the door remained open for Georgia and Ukraine to eventually join the NATO alliance. In London , Pentagon chief Robert Gates used a less critical tone when asked whether NATO should change its operational posture toward Russia as a result of events in Georgia .

Russia and EU

EU has been less critical of Moscow’s actions than the USA. It was EU and French president who mediated between Russia and Georgia for a sort of understanding and settlement. The European Union, less inclined then USA to confront with Russia for ‘energy” and other economic reasons, has given the go-ahead for the start of talks with Russia on a new partnership agreement, following about 18 months of delays. The bloc's foreign ministers approved a mandate for the talks at their meeting in Brussels. The relationship between Russia and the EU is currently undergoing significant changes.

While some EU member states accused Russia of deliberately provoking the war, others believed Russia and Georgia shared the blame and others thought Georgia brought Russia’s intervention on itself. British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said that meeting would decide "whether or not and how" the EU continued negotiations for a new partnership agreement with Moscow spanning areas such as trade, human rights and energy policy. Many members of the EU feel the EU should keep developing strong ties with Russia despite "serious questions" about its commitment to democracy, says a committee of peers.

European Commission said the crisis had dashed hopes of a fresh start between Europe and new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who took over in May from Vladimir Putin, now prime minister. The war has ended Medvedev's honeymoon with the West. Although trade between Russia and EU states has boomed in recent years, the political relationship has become increasingly strained. The talks are likely to address issues such as security of energy supplies and human rights. It would be "very difficult" for the EU to agree on any kind of sanction against Russia. It's clear that Putin, not Medvedev, is in charge. EU foreign ministers discussed that in more depth at their informal retreat in Avignon, France, on Sept 5-6. Among the issues discussed are whether to continue with visa liberalization talks with Russia, but failed to do so.

Britain, a close U.S. ally, has had its own difficulties with Russia over the murder of dissident ex-KGB agent Andrei Litvinenko in London and the treatment of British oil major BP in a joint venture with Russian business tycoons. British relations with Moscow have also soured over rows about the British Council and Russia 's refusal to allow the extradition of Andrei Lugovoi as a suspect in the murder of former KGB agent Alexander Litvinenko. In its report, the House of Lords European Union Committee acknowledged serious questions remain about the commitment of the Russian authorities to the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary, especially in politically sensitive cases." It added that it was important the EU "stands shoulder to shoulder" with its member states when they come into conflict with Russia on international issues. It suggested the British Council row was part of a "wider political strategy by Russia to pressurize the UK and the EU into giving way on other unrelated issues". The report recommended the EU adopt a "long term perspective" and deal with Russia "at all levels and in all policy areas using a hard-headed and unsentimental approach". But it says "if Russia falls short of the standards it has accepted under the Council of Europe and the OSCE in the area of democracy and human rights, criticism by the EU may at times be necessary”.


The start of talks on a strategic partnership pact between Russia and the EU has been blocked for two years because of political disputes between EU member states and their neighbor. They say if Russia falls short of the standards it has accepted under the Council of Europe and the OSCE in the area of democracy and human rights, criticism by the EU might at times be necessary. The new partnership agreement would cover political and economic ties, including energy and trade. The breakthrough came after objections were dropped by former communist members of the EU, including Lithuania. Lithuania was the last member state blocking the talks, but gave way after being assured that its grievances over Russian energy supplies and tensions between Russia and Georgia would be addressed. Poland had previously blocked the talks, demanding that Russia lift an embargo on its meat exports. The EU hopes formally to launch the talks at an EU-Russia summit in Siberia soon.

Economic Control (WTO)

One of the major irritants in Moscow’s relations with the West has been the WTO. Moscow is keen to join the World Trade Organization and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. USA and many other countries object to Russia’s entry into it. The West could try to hurt Moscow by barring it from the Group of Eight club of big economies.

The working group on Russia's bid to join the WTO will consider an updated version of the country's proposal at the next round of talks in November, it includes 20 undecided questions, which are primarily of a technical nature," said Maxim Medvedkov, who leads the country's negotiations on entering the WTO, Interfax reported. The comments came after he told Izvestia that Russia "won't die" without membership if Western pressure keeps it out for now. Medvedkov added that other countries wouldn't "get what they want" by excluding Russia, the biggest economy outside the WTO.

West uses its various economic and financial institutions as a control chip to indirectly threaten Moscow over conflicts it has with pro-US nations in the former Soviet space. German Chancellor Angela Merkel this week signaled that NATO membership was still open to Georgia, while at the same time her foreign minister stressed important Western institutions must remain open to Russia. The European Union's newest members have so far shown more solidarity with Georgia's leadership than many of the bloc's older members. Russophile, a very pro-Russia coalition, inside the European Union places good business relations above European values of human rights, democracy, and so forth.

Many in German-Russian-Dutch joint venture working to bring Russian natural gas to Western markets cite a mutual dependency of Europe needing Russian gas and Russia needing European markets. Rice said Russia’s behavior threatened its participation in a number of global diplomatic, economic and security bodies, including the Group of Eight (G8) industrialized nations, and jeopardized Moscow ’s bid to join the World Trade Organization and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. But she said Washington would continue to pursue areas of common concern with Russia, from denuclearizing the Korean peninsula to stopping Iran 's rulers from acquiring nuclear weapons and combating terrorism , underscoring Washington ’s need for Moscow to play a role in international negotiations.

European security

West Alliance (NATO) foreign ministers met to discuss a U.S. call to review relations with Russia. In one camp, the USA, the Baltic States and somewhat less vehemently Poland and the Czech Republic have attacked Russian "aggression" and voiced alarm at the precedent of Moscow claiming a duty to intervene on foreign soil to defend Russian citizens after handing them Russian passports. On the other side, France and Germany, which opposed granting Ukraine and Georgia a roadmap to NATO membership in April, have opposed any overt condemnation of Russia .

USA denies Russian entry into NATO with veto status. Splits within the European Union over who is to blame for Russia ’s conflict with Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia make it virtually impossible to envisage the 27-nation bloc taking steps to punish Russia . In NATO too, the crisis has not fundamentally changed any minds either about how to deal with Russia or whether Georgia and Ukraine should be admitted to the alliance. "It's going to make it more difficult for the EU to have a Russia policy. The war if anything has divided the European Union's member states.

In NATO, the Georgia conflict has reinforced both sides in the convictions that emerged at a Bucharest summit in April when NATO failed to endorse U.S. proposals to offer a roadmap to full membership to Georgia and Ukraine -- both former Soviet states seeking closer ties with the West. Some suspect that the divisions in NATO will have deepened. NATO said its pledge that Georgia would one day become a member of the U.S.-led military alliance still stood.

Declaring that Europe 's security architecture "did not pass the strength test" in Georgia , Russia seeks a treaty on European security. President Dmitry Medvedev s proposal in June for a new Treaty that would promote "an integrated and manageable development across the vast Euro-Atlantic region and work on the new treaty could be started at a pan-European summit and include governments as well as organizations working in the region. Russia wants something like “Helsinki-2”, or a follow-up to the 1975 Helsinki Treaty between all European nations, together with the U.S. and Canada , which evolved into the present-day Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe , the largest conflict-prevention and security organization on the continent. Despite a "difficult phase" in the relationship, both sides are bound by "an inescapable common interest". They said the new president's election gave a chance to "take stock" to see if the relationship could be improved.

An Observation: Relations remain Strained

Georgia fiasco has once again proved the double -standards of USA in international affairs and it could do nothing to stop Russia from achieving what it wanted in Georgia. After all Russia is not Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran or Pakistan to play military games against. When Iraq entered Kuwait, the US-led forces entered Iraq to disband President Saddam Hussein government, but USA has displayed wickedness in the case of Russia entering Georgia. USA takes liberty to invade Islamic nations and killing Muslims.

The anti-Islamic "terrorism" plank initiated by the US-led West and followed by others in the East, like India, could not bring about a steady relationship between Russia and USA and its European terror partners. Cowardice characterizes the current aggressive diplomacy of US-led anti-Islamic nations.

Policies of USA and Russia towards each other have remained stably hostile and this keeps reflected on their relations negatively affecting international scenario. Premier Putin has lambasted USA for the current economic and financial crisis. New president Dmitry Medvedev has said he would pursue Putin policy. It seems after years of perceived slights, Russia's foreign policy has in recent years seemed to be based on thwarting the West . "Obstructionism seems to be a priority even when Moscow shares Western goals, such as avoiding an Iranian nuclear capacity.

Russia is increasingly confident and economically powerful and the forms of diplomacy and negotiations that have been in place since the fall of the Soviet Union are clearly now outdated. It is important that while the EU's relationship with Russia will change the EU states should maintain pressure on Russia to more fully embrace democracy and implement a more effective rule of law. The Kremlin's relations with many Western states had grown fraught long before Russian military actions in Georgia this month triggered some of the sharpest rhetorical exchanges since the end of the Cold War. Contention has built up in the UN SC over issues ranging from Kosovo to Myanmar to Zimbabwe. New energy and security alignments in the Caucasus and Central Asia have revived talk of a "Great Game" between Russia and the West in the region, while Georgian stand off still badly hit the ties.

True, already the Russia has been on the negotiating and fighting courses with US-led West on number of issues and the resultant tensions have been mounting steadily since Pun became Russian president 2000. After initial infatuations and flirting immediately after the Sept 11 event, the bilateral and multilateral ties have been strained badly. The Georgian war has once again exposed the fragile nature of Russian relations with the West.

Russian dilemma over its own regional status either as a European power or Eurasian or Asia-Pacific or Asian power has hindered its “integration” with the Western civilization. Despite its claim of being a Asia-Pacific and Eurasian nation, Russia has remained a Western partner, with a full place at the elite Group of Eight (G-8) table, and has served a critical role in issues ranging from nuclear nonproliferation to combating “terrorism”. While the EU is hoping to make a fresh start with Russia under Dmitry Medvedev, the talks are likely to be long and difficult.

Although the West considers Russia as a hurdle, problem and risk for them, they know the importance of Moscow on international arena. Engagement of Russia by US-led West is absolutely necessary in resolving any international crisis. The facts are that the United States has to work with Russia on Iran, on nuclear problems of proliferation, on a whole raft of trade issues. Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder says there is not a single critical problem in world politics or the global economy that could be solved without Russia—not the nuclear conflict with Iran, the North Korea question and certainly not bringing peace to the Middle East.

It is clear that the Russian military action is bound to have consequences for EU-Russia relations. How much influence the US-led West can exert on Moscow and how much Western pressure and engagement matter to Russia's current leadership could some how decide the future course of Russo-Western ties. Also the degree to which the United States and its transatlantic partners can agree over tough steps to isolate and pressure Russia remains the moot question for now. Western businesses are very unlikely to yield to any political pressure to avoid operating in Russia, one of the biggest emerging growth markets, buoyed by a tide of oil and gas revenues. Many feel the implications on Russia are almost invisible. It won't make Russia any less attractive. However, apart from business, Russo-West relations would continue to remain at low ebbs for the foreseeable future, thanks mainly to the serious security and disarmament issues. - Sri Lanka Guardian