| JRL HOME | SUPPORT | SUBSCRIBE | RESEARCH & ANALYTICAL SUPPLEMENT | |
Old Saint Basil's Cathedral in MoscowJohnson's Russia List title and scenes of Saint Petersburg
Excerpts from the JRL E-Mail Community :: Founded and Edited by David Johnson

#9
Krasnaya Zvezda
No. 229
December 13(?), 2001
NEW RUSSIA-US RELATIONSHIP MUST BE STRENGTHENED
Sergei ROGOV, Director of the USA and Canada Institute, talks with Sergei SUMBAYEV about Russo-American relations

Question: It has become nearly axiomatic to say that the world has changed after the September 11 tragedy. Do you agree?

Answer: The September 11 tragedy and subsequent events have created a fundamentally new situation on the world scene. International terrorism has become the common threat facing Russia, the USA and the rest of the civilised world. I don't think this is a mere declaration, for terrorism has acquired a new quality in modern conditions. I think the reason for this is that terrorism today is part of globalisation, when many important events take place not within states, but at the supra-state level. This explains the appearance of new interstate associations, the growing role of international, inter-ethnic corporations, the appearance of international crime syndicates and new terrorism, which is not limited to state boundaries but is trying to operate on the global scale. The USA and its allies have pinpointed international terrorism as the main threat.

Question: Russia was one of the first to support the energetic US actions against terrorists.

Answer: We experienced the danger of international terrorism long before others and have been calling to pool the efforts of the international community in the struggle against this evil. It was the classical principle of international relations in action: "The enemy of my enemy is my partner and ally." I want to stress that when we speak about Russia's support for the USA, we frequently forget one major circumstance. It was not the USA that involved us in the war in Afghanistan. It is Russia that is using the USA to rout the terrorist units of bin Laden and the Taliban, which have long become the source of instability not only in the former Soviet republics of Central Asia (independent states now), but also in Chechnya and several other regions of Russia.

Seeing the situation from this angle, we can make the conclusion that the new Russia-US cooperation is not a unilateral process and not Russian concessions to the USA, as some people here say. It is a relationship that benefits both sides. And if we rout Al Qaeda and the Taliban, Russia's southern borders will become safer.

I don't think it would be an overestimation to say that Russia's assistance - political, military, technical and intelligence - to the US war against bin Laden and the Taliban is no less important than the support provided to the USA by all NATO countries taken together (Britain is probably an exception in this case). No wonder a fundamental breakthrough was achieved in Russia-US relations in the past two months.

Question: A few words about this breakthrough. You surely know that a certain part of Russians are wary of US intentions. They argue that Washington will need Russia only for the war against the Taliban and that the situation will be reversed after its end. Will you comment, please?

Answer: Of course, new partner, let alone allied relations between Russia and the USA have not become a fact of life yet. They are still largely a potential possibility. It will take three things for the fundamentally new model of Russia-US relationship to become a fact of life. First we should negotiate the framework of our common interests. Next we should create a mechanism of joint decision-making for the protection of these interests. And lastly, we should create a mechanism of implementing these decisions.

The US visit of President Putin in November this year showed that this possibility can become a reality. The documents signed in Washington not just sealed the fact that Russia and the USA are not adversaries any more. They sealed the closeness of our countries' positions in the sphere where differences were traditionally very great. I mean that there are no fundamental differences between our ideologies and political and economic systems today.

The two presidents pointed to the existence of a common threat. They also proclaimed that Russia and the West are allies in the struggle against international terrorism. This is a breakthrough. But the new Russia-US relationship must be strengthened. To do this, we must determine if we have a common definition of international terrorism or if double standards are still effective. For example, who are Basayev and Khattab, who are fighting in Chechnya? Are they freedom fighters or terrorists? And what is the Kosovo Liberation Army? The list can be continued. And it would be too early yet to say that the USA, the West and Russia fully agree in this sphere.

The next question is: Do we have other fundamental common interests besides the enemy in the person of international terrorism? I think we do, and they are the joint struggle against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction - nuclear, chemical and biological. One more common interest can be economic cooperation. Regrettably, one can only dream about the economic link, for our interests apparently clash in the sphere of oil prices and the repayment of Russian debts.

Neither do Russia and the USA have a mutual security treaty. And it is difficult to say if such a treaty is possible in the future.

And lastly, the agenda that existed prior to September 11, 2001 has not changed. It still includes arms control, NATO enlargement and the integration of Russia into the global market. These problems have seemingly moved to the background today, yet we must tackle them anyway.

The problem of Russia's foreign debts is even more important. Debts are an extremely heavy burden on the Russian economy and will become even heavier owing to the fall of oil export revenues. In this situation Russia's foreign debts should be restructured and a part of them - say, Soviet debts - should probably be written off. Maybe the first positive element will be the decision of the Senate foreign relations committee on writing off a large part of Russia's debts to the USA.

Question: Is it a rumour or a practical decision?

Answer: The Senate commission made the decision before Putin's visit to Washington. It is not a bill so far, but it is a very good beginning. It is not clear, though, what conditions will be put forth for the restructuring of our debts, and if the USA will be able to convince Europe to follow suit. The thing is that Russia owes a large part of its debts to Europe and not to the USA.

Question: The greatest achievements in Russo-American relations were registered in the sphere of strategic stability.

Answer: Indeed. A vital result of Putin's visit to the USA was the US pledge to abstain from unilateral denunciation of the ABM Treaty. Moreover, the Bush administration proclaimed readiness to make deep cuts in strategic offensive weapons. On the other hand, the USA is not prepared to sign new treaties and the search for compromise solutions in this sphere will be very complicated. I think such solutions are possible if both sides make compromises.

Question: What can you say about Russo-American cooperation in the solution of regional problems?

Answer: Their common stand would greatly facilitate the solution of some regional conflicts. But there is no common stand so far. Take the situation in the Balkans. Will the USA and other NATO countries recognise the independence of Kosovo? This would be unacceptable to Serbs and many other European countries, including Russia. Or will a proper attempt be made to bring about a political settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Ariel Sharon used the pretext of combating terrorism to blow up the existing agreements, which almost resulted in the withdrawal of several Arab countries from the international coalition created by the USA for the struggle against terrorism. Consequently, the Bush administration had to put pressure on the Sharon government and even proclaimed recognition of the Palestinians' right to an independent state.

There are several other serious regional conflicts where Russia-US cooperation is possible and I think necessary.

Question: What about the prospects of Russo-American relations?

Answer: The current situation offers us a unique opportunity to change the entire nature of our relations, the very model of Russia-US and Russia-NATO relationships. But to use this opportunity we should formalise the breakthrough achieved at the top political level in practical agreements and treaties, in new mechanisms of collaboration. The Bush administration has been speaking at length about a new strategic framework, but what is inside this framework? We will know the answer within the next few months.

Neither can we rule out new attempts by the USA to use the world community for camouflaging its lop-sided policy. In particular, it is feared that the Bush administration may choose to escalate the war and spread hostilities to several other states denounced as rogue countries. I believe that this would not just destroy the multilateral coalition, but also considerably strengthen anti-American sentiments in the world, including Russia.

Back to the Top    Next Article