Rethinking the Russia Reset
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Institute for Security & Development Policy IDEAS. INFLUENCE. IMPACT. IssueBRIEF Frances G. Burwell and Svante E. Cornell TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS PROGRAM Rethinking the Russia Reset The “Reset” Re-Imagined About the Atlantic Council: The Atlantic Council is The first phase of the US “Reset” of its relations with Russia a bipartisan, non-profit organization committed to has concluded. Launching a second phase will not be easy: renewing the transatlantic community for 21st century with the Russian presidential elections in March, there will be global challenges by promoting constructive and only a brief window for moving US-Russia relations forward cooperative US and European leadership in the world. before the US presidential contest moves into full gear. The Council’s Program on Transatlantic Relations Although the result of the Russian election was widely seen promotes dialogue on major issues affecting the as pre-ordained, the protests following the parliamentary and transatlantic relationship and the ability of the United presidential contests have added uncertainty. A new Putin States and its European allies to respond to global administration will be challenged by many reformers, but the challenges. About the Institute for Security & external impact of that growing internal divide is unclear. Development Policy: The Institute for Security and Nevertheless, now is the time to design a new “Russian Development Policy is a Stockholm-based Reset” that could be launched in late spring. The first step is independent and non-profit research and policy to recognize the successes of the Reset to date. The New institute. The Institute is dedicated to expanding START agreement was both the keystone success of the first understanding of international affairs, particularly phase and an indicator of how difficult progress can be. The the interrelationship between the issue areas of treaty was not the only success of the Reset: along with the conflict, security and development. The Institute’s more positive rhetoric between Russia and the United States, primary areas of geographic focus are Asia and Russia agreed to allow transport of lethal equipment to Europe’s neighborhood. Afghanistan through its territory, and there is reportedly The recommendations presented in this issue brief greater cooperation on counterterrorism. Russia also were drawn from a workshop on September 9, 2011 in supported the tightening of United Nations (UN) sanctions Washington, DC, which focused on the trilateral against Iran, although it does not support the most recent US-Europe-Russia relationship and the current status move toward sanctions on Iranian oil exports. and future of the reset. The workshop included In some areas, however, the Reset has delivered little participation from more than 20 senior-level progress. It has done nothing to recover Georgia’s territorial government officials, analysts, and practitioners from integrity or reverse the 2008 Russian invasion of that country. the United States and Europe. The authors are grateful Moscow remains hostile to any indication that Ukraine may for their insights, but they bear no responsibility for the be moving toward a closer relationship with the European content of this paper. Union (EU), and its proposal for a Eurasian Union is clearly intended to keep its neighboring countries close. Nor has the Reset led to any strengthening of Russian democracy or even the West hoped that Dmitry Medvedev’s modernization the protection of human rights and civil liberties. Rule of law initiative would lead to progress on those issues, the continues to be weak and corruption endemic. While some in anticipated return of Vladimir Putin to the presidency must Frances G. Burwell is Vice President and Director of Transatlantic Programs and Studies at the Atlantic Council. Svante E. Cornell is Director of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, and Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. raise doubts. Indeed, the campaign has featured much tougher anti-US rhetoric, undoing some of the Ten Recommendations for earlier progress. US-Russia Reset: Despite these concerns, there is still value in proceeding with 1. Emphasize a trilateral Reset involving the United a second phase of the Reset. Having stronger, more open States, Russia, and Europe. ties between the United States and Russia can help reduce 2. Focus Reset mainly on economic issues without misunderstandings between two nuclear powers whose neglecting other areas of potential cooperation. interests and activities often intersect. Even if the Reset has not delivered much progress in difficult areas, it is less likely 3. Expand efforts between the United States and that even modest gains would have been made in the Russia to make progress on arms control. absence of positive relations with the United States. 4. Continue to assert the importance of developments As plans are laid for the next phase of the Reset, history in Russia’s human rights and democracy polices. should inform the future. The successes of the current Reset 5. Collaborate with Europe to help Russia uphold its have not been favors granted by Russia, but rather have been WTO obligations. in the interests of both countries. The current Reset proved useful to the Russian government as it sought to demonstrate 6. Remove barriers to US granting of most-favored- to its public that Russia had reclaimed the status of “great nation status to Russia, including Jackson-Vanik. power.” To some extent, whether the Reset will continue 7. Prioritize the creation of robust investment depends on whether it remains useful in both the Russian protection and anti-corruption standards in Russia. and US domestic political arenas. 8. Encourage Russia to focus on economic If the next phase of the Reset is to be anything but rhetorical, modernization and facilitate discussions on how the it must be based on concrete projects which speak to real United States and the EU might assist. interests in both the United States and Russia. The following 9. Gradually reengage former Soviet states in an effort issue areas offer the best chance of fruitful cooperation, or at to enhance security and resolve regional conflicts. the least, of establishing better mutual understanding. 10. The United States and the EU should promote • Arms Control and Non-Proliferation: With New START economic growth, along with stronger and the 123 Treaty concluded, the focus should move to transportation and communication links, in the European and regional arrangements, as well as global former Soviet states. non-proliferation. The NATO-Russia Council could be a key institution given the likely prominence of missile defense in determining the prospects for further countries, there should be a clearer understanding of progress on arms control. how this relates to the Reset and what limits it may • Economics and Energy: With Russia poised to join the impose on strengthening relations. World Trade Organization (WTO), and facing declining Shifting the focus of the Reset from US-Russia arms control prospects as an “energy superpower,” there may be real and nuclear safety to trade and investment, energy markets, opportunities to build a stronger trade and investment multilateral arms control, and the “neighborhood” countries relationship, and it is in everyone’s interest that Russian means that the “Russian Reset” can no longer be a bilateral engagement in multilateral economic institutions phenomenon. In all these areas, the European governments— is constructive. as NATO and EU members and individually—have enormous • Regional Politics and Western Engagement: The stakes in the future of the Reset. Even more importantly, they countries of the former Soviet space were not part of the bring assets and potential leverage to the table. The first phase of the Reset, but instead a rather contentious EU-Russia economic relationship, for example, is much more side issue, especially in the wake of the 2008 Russian important than the US-Russia economic relationship. While invasion of Georgia. As the United States and Europe trade with the EU accounts for 47 percent of all Russian increase their engagement with the neighborhood trade—making the EU Russia’s largest trading partner—trade 2 Atlantic Council with the US accounts for less than 4 percent.1 Similarly, Russia Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). is a major energy supplier for Europe, while playing a Russia has not had easy relations with either institution, but negligible role in US energy supplies. Even on arms control, both have served as effective forums for building limited some European countries and institutions (such as NATO and trilateral cooperation on military-to-military cooperation, the European Union) are active on key issues, including missile consequence management, and some confidence building defense, Iranian proliferation, and strengthening the measures. Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The EU is also a key player in Recommendation #2: The re-imagined Reset must six of the “neighborhood” countries through its Eastern have a heavier emphasis on economic issues as a way Partnership, a program with which the US increasingly forward, while not neglecting other areas of Russian- cooperates. If the purpose of the “Russia Reset” is not only to West interaction. While arms control has long been key to strengthen US-Russia ties, but also to engage Russia in a US-Russian relations, helping Russia integrate into the global constructive way on issues of economics, arms control, and economy may bring the most chance of quick success. regional politics, Europe must be included in the effort. Moreover, a more open trade and investment relationship Recommendation 1: The re-imagined Reset must be would be in the interests of Russia, Europe, and the United trilateral, engaging the United States, Europe, and States. Such a shift in emphasis should not stop efforts to Russia. The United States and Russia are still the only build on the success of New START or deal with the nuclear superpowers.