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Homepage > Projects > Forum 2000 Conferences > 2009 > Summaries > Russia in Global Politics

Russia in Global Politics

Moderator: Alexandr Vondra
Participants: André Glucksmann, Grigory Yavlinsky, Ján Kubiš, Sandra Kalniete, Yegor Gaidar, Ella Kesaeva
 
13th October, Žofín Palace
 
 
Czech Senator and former ambassador to the US Alexandr Vondra introduced the panel by recognizing Russia’s important return to the global political scene and posed the question of whether its role should be perceived as a problem or a solution, and what would an EU “smart policy” on Russia should entail.
 
French philosopher André Glucksmann brought up the idea of there existing two Russias – a Putin’s Russia, and a European Russia – that of its citizens, NGO’s and human rights activists. This double perspective should be reflected in our efforts to understand and engage with Russia. Bearing in mind the character of Putin’s Russia, we should say: “discussion must be undertaken” instead of “we must accept it”, which would be appeasement.
 
It would be impossible to solve global problems such as non-proliferation or the war on terrorism without Russia, admitted the Chair of the opposition Yabloko party in Russia, Grigory Yavlinsky, despite Russia being an “authoritarian system” and its “democratic institutions” only imitating democracy. He added that “in the coming two hundred years we will still be neighbors, we should love each other.”
 
Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Europe Ján Kubiš agreed with Grigory Yavlinsky, though with reservations: “If love, than tough love.” Russia is an “indispensable partner” even though it is testing its Western partners’ limits of patience, he said, recalling the “gas war” of January 2009 between Russia and Ukraine and the Georgian-Russian war.
 
Latvian member of the European Parliament and former politician, Sandra Kalniete feels that there is no longer a political solidarity within NATO in the occasion of a crisis with Russia, giving Russia the ability to further “marginalize our region”. To that Ján Kubiš reacted that we should strengthen NATO while affirming that “we [NATO] do not have enemies”.
 
Russia’s position in global politics will also be shaped by the development of the economic crisis, noted Yegor Gaidar, former Russian Prime Minister. “It is too easy to run a country which is oil-dependent when the price of oil is $145 U.S. per barrel,” he said, expressing his hope that “the crisis will be good for Russia.”
 
However, any weakness perceived as such within Russia, leads to Russian loss of “belief and trust of the international cooperation and international organizations” and the misuse of its position as an important energy supplier, warned Sandra Kalniete, mentioning its demographic situation as an example. There exists a contradiction between Russia wanting to “change” and maintaining a “hyper-controlled and centralized politics”, including the control of economy.
 
Raising the problem of terrorism in Russia, Ella Kesaeva, founder and Co-Chair of the Voice of Beslan stated that international cooperation in combating terrorism is essential, as well as proper investigations into acts of terrorism, so far not carried out by the Russian authorities.
 
Towards the end of the discussion, Alexandr Vondra put to the panel whether they believe Russia could one day be a member of the EU. To that, panelists responded that yes, it is realistic should Russia adhere to the principles of such a community. Recalling Putin’s Russia, André Glucksmann asked: “Are we talking about the Russia which murders its journalists and prevents them from speaking out? No, thank you – Europe was built on the rejection of fascism.”

2009

Supported by

Nippon Foundation

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