Author: Anna Arutunyan
Affiliation: Wilson Center
Organization/Publisher: Foreign Affairs
Date/Place: February 17, 2021/USA
Type of Literature: Article
Word Count: 1758
Keywords: Russia, United States, Biden’s Foreign Policy, American Democracy, Shared Interests
Brief:
Anna Arutunyan discusses the relations between Russia and the United States in light of the demonstrations that exploded in both countries at the same time, especially the riots on Capitol Hill. Arutunyan explains that the stature of the US has been eroded in the eyes of the Russians as well as many others around the world. The American myth of “moral superiority” has been reduced, as the riots verified the Kremlin’s depiction of the US as a “a divided, racist, and hypocritical nation.” Accordingly, she argues that the American-adopted approach, considering its moral perspective, towards Moscow is no longer sustainable to influence the Russian; rather, the US needs to work pragmatically as well as cooperatively with allies to shape its relations with Russia. She proposes that an effective US policy toward Russia should be interest-based, not ideals-based policy. Russia seeks a multipolar world order, where it works with others on shared interests—not shared values—in terms of doing business in trade, security, etc. To sum up, Arutunyan suggests that a better approach for the US to deal with Russia is to allow a greater degree of multipolarity. The US would be better communicating with Russia through allies such as Germany, Canada, Denmark, or Norway to influence the Kremlin on mutual interests instead of insisting to lead the situation. Moreover, the US should get over its unrealistic expectations of changing Russia’s political culture, and instead believe in gradual change that will come from within and with its own rhythm. This will help the US to revise its policy by changing its main content and increasing its effectiveness.
By: Yomna Süleyman, CIGA Research Assistant
