Russia in Global Affairs

Why is even speaking of negotiations with Ukraine dangerous for us? Who is better―Trump or Biden? Why is Europe worse than America? What are the real goals of the special military operation (SMO)? How can the use of nuclear weapons save the world from World War III? Sergei Karaganov speaks with Argumenty Nedeli Editor-in-Chief Andrei Uglanov on this and many other topics.

We must again tread the path to stabilization and peaceful coexistence. But we will first need to set foot on that path.

Not so long ago, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said the European Union should be prepared for war by the end of the decade. Politicians in Berlin are talking about reintroducing mandatory military service and getting ready for confrontation with Moscow. Similar sentiments can be observed in Poland. But is it just because of the events in Ukraine? What is the reason for the dramatic increase in European conflict potential? Rossiyskaya Gazeta discusses it with Sergei Karaganov.

The events of 2022—the beginning of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine and the subsequent economic war of the “collective West” against Russia—have aroused speculations that the St. Petersburg period of Russian history is over. Russia is secluding itself on an “island” and turning towards Asia. The period of rapprochement between Russia and the West is closing up. The country has chosen its own civilizational path, diverging from that of Europe.

The Europeans are not able to appreciate the significance of the Ukraine crisis and the vital nature of Russia’s interests, having long lost the habit of thinking for themselves. The vacation from strategic thinking continues.

For half a century, both sides have benefited from close cooperation, but that era is drawing to a close.

Strategic frivolity, that is, the ability to create risky situations for the sake of solving particular issues, is a characteristic sign of the confidence of states that a major conflict between them is either unrealistic or can be relatively easily settled by diplomatic methods. However, history shows that diplomacy and even direct communication at the highest level may not always work.

Europe’s reliance on the U.S. is no longer sustainable. Glenn Diesen introduces an alternative. If the Russian-Chinese partnership gains sufficient geoeconomic power, it can integrate Europe with Asia into a Eurasian supercontinent. In this scenario the EU can diversify its partners and avoid excessive dependence on one player or region.

The collapse of any global empire always had a profound and lasting impact on the entire world history, and the disintegration of the Soviet Union was also the case. The Soviet Union was more than just a country; it was an “empire” that united countries covering the Eurasian continent, a military alliance and a large economic association, as well as a worldwide ideology and a peculiar social system.