No. 162: Russia and the West in Light of the Ukraine Crisis

Author(s): Ulrich Kühn, Sergey Markedonov
Editor(s): Stephen Aris, Matthias Neumann, Robert Orttung, Jeronim Perovic, Heiko Pleines, Hans-Henning Schröder, Aglaya Snetkov
Series: Russian Analytical Digest (RAD)
Issue: 162
Publisher(s): Center for Security Studies (CSS), ETH Zurich; Research Centre for East European Studies, University of Bremen; Institute for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, George Washington University
Publication Year: 2015

This edition considers the current problems in Russian-Western relations and the prospects for the future of the relationship. Firstly, Sergey Markedonov argues that the current dispute does not represent a new Cold War, but is the result of differing accounts of what violates the world order and international law. He suggests that in the name of addressing other pressing common security issues, Russia and the West must find a way to move beyond the current stalemate brought out by the Ukraine crisis. Secondly, Ulrich Kühn argues, contrary to many analysts, that Russia is continuing to pursue the same status-quo-orientated approach that it has followed since the end of the Cold War: resisting changes to the relative distribution of power by a variety of means. And, that this needs to be taken into account to form an effective strategy for engaging Russia.

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