Russia in Global Affairs

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RSCI Scopus

No. 3

2013 July/September

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Contents

Together or Apart?

Fyodor A. Lukyanov

Contours of the Future

In Need of a Major Overhaul

Svyatoslav I. Kaspe

A Fresh Wind of Optimism

Andrei O. Bezrukov

Lessons of Diplomacy

The Yugoslav Prelude

Anatoly Adamishin

“I Anticipate a Replay of the Time of Troubles…”

Alexander Kuznetsov

Emerging Priorities

The Reason to Be

Timofei V. Bordachev

Looking towards the Future an Eye to the Past

The Multipolar Circle

Dmitriy Tulupov

A Different Integration

Spiritual Values to Cement the Eurasian Union

In Search of an Idea of the North

Going Astray

The Migration Threshold

Alexandr Gabuev

Life after Vilnius

Dmitry V. Yefremenko

Why Are We Drifting Apart?

Alexander Iskandaryan

Fight Against Corruption Instead of a Development Strategy

Sergej Pavlenko

New Trends in the Middle East

The Iranian Key to the Middle East Door

Andrey Baklanov

From Mediation to Interventionism

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen

Articles

Together or Apart?

The answer to this question with regard to the global economy and politics even a couple of years ago would be considered self-evident – of course, together. In the global world, where countries depend on each other in one way or another, success is possible only through ever deeper cooperation.

Fyodor A. Lukyanov

In Need of a Major Overhaul

We have almost forgotten that politics should have a value component (the fascination with perestroika proved to be short-lived). The absence of value guidelines beyond accounts of benefits and costs turns politics into a nasty parody of itself and deprives it of power and functionality.

Svyatoslav I. Kaspe

A Fresh Wind of Optimism

While the American elites take time to debate and prioritize their national interests, there is no similar dialogue going on within Russian elites. As society at large did not form an appreciation of what Russia’s true interests are, we can’t see whether we are failing or succeeding.

Andrei O. Bezrukov

The Yugoslav Prelude

Proceeding from their current interests, more powerful countries often ignore the fact that, as a rule, there is no right or wrong party in domestic conflicts and civil wars; indeed, the responsibility often lies with both sides.

Anatoly Adamishin

“I Anticipate a Replay of the Time of Troubles…”

Russian diplomats, who had learned from a long history of conflict with European powers and Britain, personally saw the distinctions between Russia and the West in terms of cultural and religious self-identity, as well as foreign policy interests.

Alexander Kuznetsov

The Reason to Be

An ability to quickly mobilize one’s allies (not only in the military sense) and to deliver a most resolute and prompt strike at one’s enemies or even undesirable countries is becoming an increasingly important requirement for a state’s survival and competitiveness. This is why NATO, the last peacetime military alliance, has very promising prospects.

Timofei V. Bordachev

Looking towards the Future an Eye to the Past

Globalization in the 21st century is no longer a trend solely promoted by the “Washington consensus,” it is now driven more by various concepts, including the “Chinese dream” and Russia’s great power ambitions. It is not only inspired by private sectors and market mechanisms, it involves by far more diverse participants, especially big corporations supported by their governments.

The Multipolar Circle

Russian diplomacy continues to use purely political mechanisms of cooperation with regional players (negotiations, consultations, work in international organizations) and appeals to the status of “great power” whenever possible. However, this is not enough today to carry out regional priorities, even the very basic ones.

Dmitriy Tulupov

Spiritual Values to Cement the Eurasian Union

In addition to purely economic arguments, one needs some ideological basis for a Eurasian Union. The other factor is whether or not the integration policy will be continued after a new generation of the elites comes to power, and the nature of relationships between new leaders.

In Search of an Idea of the North

The idea of the North – a philosophy of the unity of Northern Eurasian peoples – is a cementing and goal-setting force and also the natural and organic basis for building a continental Eurasian association. This philosophy occupies the next tier after the ideas of united Europe and Russian Eurasianism.

The Migration Threshold

A majority of Russians do not welcome rapprochement with Central Asian states and strongly object to having equal employment rights with citizens of those countries. Any moves which might lead to a real increase in the number of migrants in Russia will further plunge the authorities’ popularity ratings.

Alexandr Gabuev

Life after Vilnius

Ukraine will experiment on itself and all the other countries in the post-Soviet space are looking forward to watching how it ends. Whether the ensuing economic or institutional changes over rapprochement with the EU appear tangible and positive will determine Russia’s own conduct and the conduct of countries that still rely on it.

Dmitry V. Yefremenko

Why Are We Drifting Apart?

In ten to fifteen years from now the generation of the elites that grew in the Soviet Union and that shares the same culture codes and the ability to communicate with each other like people of one country, and not like foreigners, will begin to leave the stage.

Alexander Iskandaryan

Fight Against Corruption Instead of a Development Strategy

Economic history provides many examples that undermine Weber’s postulate that economies based on the Protestant ethic are more productive. And the lessons of the global financial crisis of 1997-1998 refute the view that economies based on Confucian values (above all, the moral need for a high degree of family and personal savings) are more successful and stable.

Sergej Pavlenko

The Iranian Key to the Middle East Door

The view on national development and foreign policy has been firmly mixed in the minds of Iranians with a skeptical, and one can even say ironical, perception of the West’s attempts to portray its way of life and values as the only “civilized system.”

Andrey Baklanov

From Mediation to Interventionism

The new leadership in Doha is entering a “post-Arab Spring” regional landscape that is almost diametrically opposed to the propitious convergence of Qatari interests and the revolutionary upheaval in North Africa in 2011.

Kristian Coates Ulrichsen