31. U.S.-Russian Relations: Toward a New Strategic Framework
- Author:
- Eugene B. Rumer and Richard D. Sokolsky
- Publication Date:
- 05-2002
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- In 2001, President Vladimir Putin made a strategic choice for Russia's integration with the West. Indicators of this decision include Putin's quest for better relations with the United States and Europe, his stated commitment to Russian membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO), his pursuit of a new relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and his almost casual dismissal of the potential major irritants in the relationship with the United States and its allies—U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, the likelihood of Baltic membership in NATO, sizeable U.S. military deployments to Central Asia, and a growing U.S. military presence in Georgia. Putin has unequivocally crossed these once-insurmountable red lines despite opposition from his closest advisers and the unease of the Russian public over the American presence in Russia's backyard.
- Topic:
- Security and Foreign Policy
- Political Geography:
- Russia, United States, Europe, and Georgia