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31.08.2009 Foreign Policy in Review July-Aug, 2009 The following resource is meant to quickly introduce the reader to Russia's relations with other countries (excluding most of Eurasia, which has its own review). For more news reviews, see the newsletter for this corresponding month. To receive SRAS's free monthly newsletter and obzori by email, simply sign up.   Arctic Thawing Arctic Relations The United States and Russia can - and should - lead the way to a peaceful and sustainable Arctic.   Asia Aso, Medvedev meet as islands dispute flares up Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev tried to dampen down tensions Thursday as a smouldering territorial dispute over a chain of Pacific islands reignited. Russia Complains About Chinese Border River Project Russia complained about a major Chinese river project on Monday which it says will harm the Russian environment, the latest sign of strained relations between the two countries. China And Russia: Who'll Have The Last Word? The global financial crisis is bound to force Russia to kick its raw material addiction.   Commentary Reset Reviewed In a world where daunting unpredictable risks are mounting on a daily basis, Russia with its natural and intellectual resources and America with its power and influence must cooperate. The benefits will accrue to them and to the rest of the world as well. Russia's Hired Lobbies In The West Russia's attempts to promote a positive image of being a "reliable energy supplier" as well as a safe and profitable haven for foreign investments have played a significant role in Russian policy. To achieve this goal the Russian government and state-owned companies have hired Western public relations firms to tout the alleged benefits of working in partnership with Russia. Fear Of A Weak Russia If Moscow's failures continue, the world may soon become a much more dangerous place. PR Groups Cash In On Russian Conflict Russia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia are using public relations firms to influence the western media.   Europe Without Russia, Europe has no reliable source of gas "There has been no change on the gas supply market." In the past few months, this phrase has brought for the EU, Ukraine and Russia more anxiety than calm, because no change means that the question over the supply of Russian natural gas to the EU this coming winter has not been settled. An Open Letter To The Obama Administration From Central And Eastern Europe The following open letter to the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama appeared in the Polish newspaper "Gazeta Wyborcza" on July 16. OECD: Russia needs aggressive stimulus, overhaul Russia must use fast and decisive stimulus to pull its economy out of an unexpectedly deep hole, but also prepare difficult reforms to ensure longer-term prosperity, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Wednesday. Bulgaria 'risks falling under Russia's influence' Bulgaria, the European Union's poorest member state, is at risk of falling under Russian political and economic influence unless Brussels works more effectively with Sofia, according to a panel of EU experts advising the Bulgarian government. Turkey And Russia Conclude Energy Deals Russia and Turkey concluded energy agreements on Thursday that will support Turkey's drive to become a regional hub for fuel transshipments while helping Moscow maintain its monopoly on natural gas shipments from Asia to Europe.   Latin America Russia Draws Closer To Latin American Leftists Russia and Nicaragua have signed an agreement on visa-free travel between the two countries, in Moscow's latest move to increase its ties in Latin America.   Middle East Peres: Russia To Reconsider Missile Sale To Iran Israeli President Shimon Peres said Wednesday that the Kremlin has promised to reconsider the planned delivery of powerful air defense missiles to Iran.   Military Russia Scraps over 40,000 Tanks Russia is cutting its tank force again, from 22,000 to about 6,000. US Official: No Objection to New Russian Base in Kyrgyzstan A senior U.S. diplomat visiting Kyrgyzstan says the United States does not have any objections to Russia possibly opening a second military base in the Central Asian country. Kremlin promises new Black Sea Fleet base by 2016 Russia announced on Tuesday it would finish building a new base for its Black Sea fleet by 2016 to replace the historic Crimean Sevastopol port it has been ordered by Ukraine to evacuate. The Fleet That Has To Die The Russian Navy's "Irreversible Collapse" Russia set to build up its naval facilities in Syria The Russian Navy will expand and modernize its Soviet-era naval maintenance site near Tartus in Syria to support anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast, a high-ranking navy source said on Monday. In Spite Of Medvedev's Optimism Russian Military Is Facing Severe Crisis Analysts consider Russian President Medvedev likened to a 'general without an army', as most top posts are still dominated by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's people, who de-facto carry out his policy. Kremlin Removes Russian Nuclear Missile Commander The Kremlin replaced the commander of Russia's strategic nuclear missiles on Monday – the latest in a series of top-level departures in the armed forces. New Rules for Rough Play A new law has Russia's neighbors worried about war, and parliamentarians concerned about further consolidation of the President's power. Is Russia Ready For Star Wars? By 2030, the United States will be able to strike from space on a global scale, including Russia, Air Force Commander Alexander Zelin told journalists. Mass Firings As Russia Reforms Bloated Military Russia conducts a sweeping reform that will eliminate the jobs of six out of every 10 members of its top-heavy officer corps. Russia 'kills al-Qaeda operative' Russian forces have killed an al-Qaeda militant in the increasingly volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan, officials say.   Missiles  U.S. seeks "full partnership" with Russia on missiles The Obama administration is seeking "full partnership" with Moscow to bridge ballistic missile-defense differences that have strained U.S.-Russian ties for years, the head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency said Thursday. Russia outwitted U.S. strategic defenses with missile test The United States was unable to detect the presence of Russian strategic submarines in the Arctic before they test-launched two ballistic missiles, a Russian intelligence source said on Wednesday. Russia stunned by missile failure setback The Russian military's drive to revamp its Soviet-era missile arsenal has suffered a major setback after a nuclear-capable missile touted as the new pride of its rocket forces failed again in testing.   Int'l Alliances/Organizations Say No to NATO, U.S. Experts Tell Ukrainians Challenging established thinking on Ukrainian NATO membership will be easier in the public sphere than amongst professionals. NATO Isn't Russia's Enemy, Says New Secretary General The North Atlantic Treaty Organization must convince the Russian people that the military alliance isn't their enemy, the organisation's new secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said Monday, adding that he didn't want disagreements to poison ties. Medvedev packs in meetings with world leaders at G8 summit Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is cramming in bilateral meetings with other G8 leaders on the sidelines of their summit in Italy to discus Iran, North Korea and nuclear proliferation. Russia Hopes To Join WTO By Next Year Russia could join the World Trade Organization by mid-2010 if the U.S. delivers the backing it has publicly promised to Moscow's long-delayed bid, First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov said.   US Russian Foreign Minister Sees 'Improvement' in U.S.-Russian Relations In the last of a series of reports from Russia, Margaret Warner talks with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov about the future of U.S.-Russian relations, last year's Georgian war, and negotiating a nuclear arms treaty. What the Russians Say About Us What do Americans not understand about Russia? Will The Obama - Medvedev Commission Help Boost US-Russian Relations? One of the key results of U.S. President Barack Obama's visit to Moscow last week was an agreement to form a U.S.-Russian Bilateral Presidential Commission, which the two presidents will chair, while U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov coordinate its routine activities. But is it really new? New Biden Criticism Surprises Russia Just weeks after a summit meeting intended to show a thawing in relations between the United States and Russia, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. made blistering references to Russia's failing economy, loss of face and a leadership that is "clinging to something in the past," in an interview published on Saturday. House of Foreign Affairs, hearing: "The Reset Button Has Been Pushed: Kicking Off a New Era in U.S.-Russian Relations" : Chairman Robert Wexler, Subcommittee on Europe, Opening Statement: Although there remain serious disagreements between Washington and Moscow on many issues, at the Summit, the Obama Administration and Russian officials began the process of "resetting relations"… Testimony of Philip H. Gordon, Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs "Despite all of these positive developments, we have no illusions that our reset of relations will be easy or that we will not continue to have differences with Russia. Nonetheless, we are confident that the United States and Russia can still work together where our interests coincide while at the same time seeking to narrow our differences in an open and mutually respectful way". Testimony of Dr. Celeste A. Wallander, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine, and Eurasia Policy The U.S. and Russia have a broad responsibility to work together in addressing global and regional security challenges. Many of these challenges were positively addressed at the summit, particularly Afghanistan, reductions in nuclear arms, and improving the capacity for military-to-military cooperation. Russian Subs Patrolling Off East Coast of U.S. A pair of nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines has been patrolling off the eastern seaboard of the United States in recent days, a rare mission that has raised concerns inside the Pentagon and intelligence agencies about a more assertive stance by the Russian military. What Biden Should Have Said An uproar, in other words, about whether the United States is overreaching and disregarding Russia's interests should perhaps have been about whether America is trying to succeed on the cheap and is failing to uphold its own interests. Thailand Blocks Extradition Of An Arms Dealing Suspect A Thai court stunned American officials here on Tuesday by rejecting the extradition of Viktor Bout, a Russian businessman who is accused of global arms trafficking.  Russian Aide Asks 'Who Determines US Policy' After VP Biden's Interview Moscow Interfax in Russian carried a report in which Russian presidential aide Sergey Prikhodko criticized US Vice-President Joe Biden for linking work to reduce nuclear arsenals to Russia's economic problems. He said criticism of Russia made by Biden in an interview with the Wall Street Journal also makes one wonder "who determines the USA's foreign policy." Democracy's Budget Cut Into The United States reduces the budget of human rights promotion programs in Russia. Promotion of democracy in Russia will cost American taxpayers but $29 million this year.  U.S. to Scrap E. Europe Missile Shield Bases Washington will scrap plans to put anti-missile bases in Poland and the Czech Republic and is looking at alternatives including Israel and Turkey, a Polish newspaper reported Aug. 27, citing U.S. officials.     Study Politics in Russia The Library: Politics in Russia SRAS Resources for Teachers   Find out more! SRAS Travel Services More Study Abroad Programs Internships in Russia Heath and Safety in Russia The SRAS Newsletter Journal for Students More Free Resources!  Questions or comments? Contact the editor « back to News archive print this page email this page