Publication

This paper examines Russian-European relations, as well as Finnish foreign policy towards Russia, in a critical light. The author posits three arguments regarding the future of Russian-European relations, which he considers useful to advancing the Finnish debate on its neighbor. First, he argues that Russia is corrupt, authoritarian, and economically unfree. If left to its own devices, it will continue to lag far behind the West and its standards of liberal democracy, rule of law, and economic freedom. Second, he argues that Russia will never have the economic and demographic resources, nor the geostrategic advantages, that will allow it to regain its former position as a great power. Finally, he makes the case for why Finland should pursue a Russia-policy independent of the EU. This policy should be in keeping with the policies of other, like-minded powers such as the US.