The Premature Partnership

Russia and the United States After 9/11

“…Even this formulation, presented as it is in terms of regional predominance arising out of familiar kinds of self-interest, has led some commentators to argue that Russia was on a quest to reanimate its Soviet Empire. 14 There is some risk involved in the formulation of descriptive categories such as 'Westernizers' and 'Eurasianists'. It needs to be remembered that they are descriptive categories, not exhaustive and mutually exclusive logical alternatives.…”

Realignments in Russian Foreign Policy: An introduction

“…6 Russia's partial solution of 'peacekeeping' gave further fears of realpolitik cloaked in the language and practice of the new interventionism. 7 The wars in Chechnya, which resulted in possibly tens of thousands of deaths and hundreds of thousands displaced, also gave concern, even if Western criticism was quiet in relation to the intensity of the Russian military response.…”

“…Ultimately, if Russia is forced to retreat from the Near Abroad it will cease to face the trade-off Brzezinski identified between democracy and empire. 22 Shedding imperial ambition would make Russia fit more comfortably with Europe and lessen tension with the US. Kozyrev said that a democratic Russia and the West were 'natural friends'.…”

Ukraine and the west: Moving from stability to strategic engagement

“…Zbigniew Brzezinski's celebrated article in a 1994 edition of Foreign Affairs called upon the West to promote 'geopolitical pluralism' instead of a Russo-centric agenda in the former USSR. 1 From 1994 until the end of the decade Western support helped to secure Ukrainian independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty. By 1999 all of Ukraine's borders were recognized by its neighbors and Russian-Ukrainian relations had considerably improved.…”