The Russian position in the Euro-Atlantic geopolitical
region was supposed to turn towards careful cooperation following two major
doctrinal shifts which have occurred recently. Obama’s policy of restarting the
US-Russian relations (including the signing of the START treaty, which is
clearly a Kremlin’s win) and opening the door to the East by inviting the
Russian side to the missile defense system of NATO that is currently being
developed should have resulted into a new round of détente of post-bipolar aggrieving
ex-superpower. Published at the North Africa Post.
Since reality is never wholly defined by proclamations, it
became obvious that 2011 marked a deterioration of Russian trust towards
Western structures.
When trying to persuade somebody to significantly
change his position, one must understand the internal world of his counterpart.
A new ruler, Vladimir Putin, has involuntarily seen number of votes cast for
his party fall to 49.3% from 64.3% in five years. Losing the constitutional
majority in the State Duma might seem like a game-changing deal after the
country had seen a near uprising against state manipulation during
parliamentary elections – a first 50 000 demonstration since the break-up
of the Soviet Union.
Authoritative democracy, as Putin recalls domestic
imperial history lectures, reportedly seeks to satisfy the majority of the
Russian population. To be strong is not an asset but a must in the land of
Siberian bears, so it is considered an imperative for the ruler of Kremlin to
act with power – or to appear (again) significant at least in the eyes of his
followers, and once in four years – voters.
Since the only instruments of superpower status left
in the land of vodka are nuclear weapons and gas-exporting pipes, it comes as
no surprise that the official doctrine of Russian military forces (signed by
president Medvedev in February 2010 even before The Lisbon Summit of NATO which
took part later that year) considers NATO as an enemy.
The Bear is Afraid
To find the reason why Moscow is threatening its
neighbors and Europe in a broader sense is as simple as keeping an AK-47
Kalashnikov working – Putin feels both afraid and nostalgic of good old
powerful times. Imagine sitting at his office and watching NATO expansion to
the Baltic states, Ukraine turning into a new version of Yugoslavia with
‘inbetweeners’ approach, referred to as Titoism by the West, China demanding
space on its Eastern flank, emancipating Turkey with strong NATO background,
such as American presence from the Middle to the Far East along Russia’s long
southern border.
These facts generate a simple feeling. The country of
well-respected poets is being besieged and once an imperium wants to appear
powerful, it must strengthen its bonds and influence in the Middle East and
North Africa (MENA) region.
To relate this kind of analysis and perspective to the
Mediterranean region, one has to keep in mind the Russian imperialistic
mindset. When looking at the Middle East and North Africa, the strategic
position of Israel, a NATO Partner country and American closest ally, expands
the Russian geopolitical interests.
In geopolitical terms, once strongly
pro-Russian Syrian regime falls or tear itself into rivers of blood, Moscow
will turn out to have no real close ally in the region. Being faced with its
sort of security dilemma, Russia’s military expenditures have nearly doubled in
four years and were accompanied by the diplomatic offensive. Preliminary
bombardment as diplomatic tactics have been used by Kremlin rulers for ages.
The only two words Russians truly understand are power and strength.
Why to Wake (Him) Up
Here comes the cutting argument which could lead
Russia to the real cooperation with NATO (and, by extension, the EU) and bridge
the gap between diplomatic rhetoric and tangible results. The Russian economy
is quite backward and addicted to gas. It is about time to make Russian top
leaders to wake up to the reality and admit it.
Recalling times of Ronald
Reagan who used the SDI buildup to crash the Soviet Union without firing a shot
and therefore won militarily –threatening Cold War with economic means can
nowadays be translated as an urgent call to action. If Moscow stops taking NATO
as an enemy, it can decrease its military expenditures and rebuild its domestic
structures – a feat for which the country has been longing for since the times
of Peter the Great.
As the amount of commodities under Russian freezing
soil will undoubtedly decrease, the state will be forced by energy-security
considerations and demographic trends to manage another important relationship
with neighboring China. Since the American post-WWII, two-major-conflict
doctrine has recently been turned to the less expensive shift towards the Asia
and Pacific area, Washington is likely to keep a close and wary eye over the
Chinese rise.
As the Kremlin will not play a key global role (except if it tries
to flex its nuclear muscles) in the coming decades, it will find out – sooner
rather than later – that, particularly when compared with the Asia-Pacific
region, Europe and the Euro-Atlantic civilization is a more predictable and
trustworthy partner, with a much closer cultural affinity.