[Discussion] PUBL.- Russia in Global Affairs, 2005, Issue #1

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

From: Editorial Office <info@globalaffairs.ru>

PUBL.- Russia in Global Affairs, 2005, Issue #1

Russia in Global Affairs
2005, No. 001

Contents:

The Spiral of Russian History
Fyodor Lukyanov

The Post-Soviet Chessboard: From Global Controversies to Regional Conflicts
Mikhail Delyagin

A strategic goal for Moscow would be to bring the process of the Soviet 
Union's
disintegration to a logical end. This would entail international 
recognition of
the right to self-determination for those peoples living in the post-Soviet
area, who are willing to be incorporated into Russia.

The Near Abroad: Increasingly Far Away from Russia
Yekaterina Kuznetsova

If the Russian authorities do not amend their policies, Moscow's efforts 
to keep
the former 'sister republics' under its influence may force those 
countries to
turn to those who will offer them a more intelligible scenario for future
development.

The Orange Color of the Bourgeoisie
Vadim Dubnov

The change of power in Georgia and Ukraine only remotely resembles velvet
revolutions that took place in Eastern Europe some 15 years ago. These 
are not
popular uprisings that change social order of a country, they are 
bureaucratic
revolutions, as the most active part of the ruling class feels that the
frameworks of the existing political and economic system are already too 
narrow
for it.

Ukraine: Check or Checkmate?
Robert Bridge

Western commentators insist that U.S. interest in Ukraine's recent 
presidential
election was an altruistic gesture with the purest intentions; it merely 
wanted
to crack open the blackened windows of the former Soviet frontier to some
democratic sunshine, and other such poetical pretensions. It would be truly
heartwarming if this was really the whole story, but unfortunately it is 
not.

Kaliningrad: Gateway to Wider Europe
Sergei Kortunov

Moscow does not have a geopolitical understanding of the Kaliningrad 
Region's
role, nor a long-term economic strategy. If Moscow continues to do 
nothing, the
Kaliningrad Region, like a ripe fruit, will fall into the EU's hands on 
its own
accord.

Whither Putin? The Putin Strategy
Vyacheslav Nikonov

Putin's strategy is built on the principles of the free market, a strong 
state
and its security organizations; on an open, independent and active foreign
policy; and on respect for traditions, continuity and patriotism. 
According to
any of the classifications accepted in the world, such a set of 
principles is
rather characteristic of right-wing politicians and conservatives.

The Great Watershed Year
Alexander Budberg

Russian society is obviously going through an abrupt turning point, and 
the most
capable and notable personalities are once again unwanted in their 
homeland. The
idea of a civic society, a vogue of the recent past, has transformed 
into the
judgment of numerous loyalists who are vigorously tipping the FSB on 
anything
that looks suspicious, while the FSB is fully unprepared for it.

Manual Governance
Svetlana Babayeva, Georgy Bovt

"Indeed, Putin's conduct is the one of an absolute monarch," a top 
official from
the Kremlin remarked frankly. "But you have to govern all that manually 
and on a
daily basis if you want to keep it under control. Forget about any 
system in the
next 20 to 30 years, until the time when people who are 18 to 20 years 
old today
come to power."

Property and Freedom
Mikhail Khodorkovsky

The destruction of YUKOS shows that once the bureaucrats get off their 
leash,
they become guided by anything but the interests of the state. They 
believe that
the state machinery should serve their interests, while all other 
functions are
inessential and can be forgotten (temporarily or for good). The 
bureaucrats have
no respect for the state and regard it simply as a mechanism of 
attaining their
personal objectives. Identifying Russia's Foes

Mikhail Yuryev

The staunch opponents of the regime, who pretend to hate Putin's Russia,
actually hate Russia per se. This certainly applies to the majority of our
professional democrats and ardent champions of universal human values. 
Since the
President says we are at war, the people who are against us must be 
called foes,
not opponents.

Antiterror Strategies

A No-Compromise War
Yevgeny Satanovsky

Islamists do not wait for concessions from the Russian Federation, nor any
other country they are fighting against. They simply want to destroy the 
country
and its citizens: atheists and believers, Moslems and non-Moslems.

Winning a War While Not Losing the Peace
Alexei Arbatov

Is there anything in common between the armed conflicts in Chechnya, 
Afghanistan
and Iraq? The answer is, practically everything is different: their history,
their nature, the composition of the conflicting parties and their 
goals, the
legal basis, social and political consequences, etc. Yet, there are some 
points
that permit us to compare these conflicts and even learn some vital 
lessons from
them.

Global Interaction

Democracy, International Governance, and the Future World Order
Sergei Lavrov

Democracy cannot be imposed from the outside. Attempts to replace a ruling
regime by force only serve to destabilize the situation in a given country.
Democratic institutions must be formed on the national basis of a given 
country,
while the international community must help create favorable conditions for
promoting this process. It must show respect for the existing traditions of
every country and for the choice of ways to develop democracy.

The United Nations: Challenges of Our Time
Yevgeny Primakov

The UN Charter provides for all possible ways to collectively counteract 
threats
to security and stability. So the question is not how to amend the 
Charter, but
how to best use the high potential of this document, as well as the 
potential of
the UN Security Council and the United Nations as a whole.

Can Russia and Germany Save the Middle East?
Naiem A. Sherbiny

Something bold needs to be done to salvage the Greater Middle East 
initiative
and move its fate off dead center for the benefit of all participants,
beneficiaries and donors alike. Russia and Germany are uniquely qualified to
assume the responsibility of saving the G8-GME initiative. But the available
window of opportunity for this historic initiative is rapidly closing.

Challenges of Market Building
Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa

Although at different stages, both the EU and Russia are transition 
economies.
In the last two decades, Russia and the EU engaged in unprecedented market
building projects. The EU decided to complete the Single Market, while 
Russia,
which had been operating for more than seventy years under the principles of
central planning, began transforming itself
into a market economy.

Insight Into American Policy: The Sources of American Conduct
Alexei Bogaturov

What are the motives behind American foreign policy decisions? To date, 
when the
U.S. completely dominates the international arena, it is critical to 
understand
the political, psychological, ideological and cultural sources of American
conduct in order to formulate an adequate policy of relations with the U.S.

Limited Possibilities and Possible Limitations
Nikolai Zlobin

Over the last few years, the Russia-U.S. bilateral relations, far from 
growing
stronger, have approached a dangerous point. The elites in the two countries
have developed feelings of mutual disillusionment with each other, as 
well as
the suspicion that the other side is secretly nurturing hostile plans. The
presidents' friendship has ceased to be a means for solving these 
problems and
is actually becoming a means for veiling them.

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