Sight from an outsider’s viewpoint: how the West sees “strategic partnership” with Russia?

The West always thinks of Russia and will always do it in the future. That is the logic of history – there is nothing you can do … And how they perceive us today? The opinion of the person who was engaged in all that not for one year in the performance of his official duty will help us to understand it.

Ernst-Jörg von Studnitz is an outstanding public figure in political and business circles of Germany. From 1995 to 2002 years he was the Plenipotentiary ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Russian Federation and now heads the German-Russian Forum. Having addressing to the young Russian politicians and public figures, he reflected on a theme: “Whether Russia is the strategic partner to the West?”:

- The concept “strategic partnership” in the modern politics became a change. Any relations become strategic at once if they want to give the importance to them … Often the levity and carelessness disappear behind such use of this term, which are harmful to the international relations. It is necessary to speak about a substantial component of this concept: in this case, how much the relations of Russia with those or other countries correspond to criteria of strategic partnership.

It is obvious that it is possible to speak about strategy only when it is a question of the actions focused on long-term objectives. If to analyze the statements of leading statesmen of Russia, the reaction in mass-media and opinion of the people, so there are the key statements that the primary goal is the preservation of huge and strong world power. For Russia this status has crucial importance.

Other historical and political interest of Russia consists in an exception of foreign influence on territories of the former Soviet republics. The CIS still is exclusive region for Russia. The rapprochement of Georgia and Ukraine with NATO had to be absolutely unacceptable for Russia - it is connected with the Russian interests in safety sphere and also with history.
The decision-making right at the European level since XVIII century concerns the Russian consciousness of great power.

There are global interests of Russia! Historically Russia sees itself as world power, at least, from the Second World War termination. There is the open question on imperial Russia since a pushing off of China behind the Amur in the East or advancements in the Central Asia against approach of British Empire from India. Anyhow, the advantage of the Russian state has strongly suffered as a result of Russian-Japanese war. However, Russia in shape of the Soviet Union unconditionally sees itself in the role of the world power since a victory over Germany.

Russia considered itself in relation to the USA as power equal in rights before the disintegration of the USSR. And in this status of world power, the Soviet Union has been interested in maintenance of world balance of the forces generated after the Second World War and remaining in years of “cold war”.
Today the nuclear potential of Russia can't be called into question in relation to the USA. But Russia disturbs that the USA intend to develop the system of ABM without participation of Russia. China is one of solving forces in world politics in the XXI century for Russia.

The current regional conflicts also infringe the essential interests of Russia in different ways. Essentially Russia is interested in the peace permission of all these conflicts as any military intervention, as shows Afghanistan, leads to unpredictable consequences and damage. If NATO leaves Afghanistan now, so the statehood disintegration in Afghanistan will directly affect Russia because of weakness of the central government. The military conflict in the Near East would bring with itself so much unpredictability that the development of the global conflict isn't excluded and Russia isn't interested in it.

Not predicted scales of performances begun in Tunis and Egypt influence the traditional allies of Russia, threatening the general safety in region and can damage substantially to system of world power supply. It can lead to new financial and economic crisis in which Russia isn't interested absolutely.
The global interests of Russia are influenced finally by world terrorism. Russia also suffers from the international piracy and drug traffic and consequently conducts active struggle in these spheres.

Russia uses the various international organizations in which it can protect own interests for realization of the global ideas. Russia considers as the right to participate in direct formation of Europe since the victory of Peter the First over Sweden. This right has become stronger after Napoleonic wars and practiced throughout all XIX century. For the strengthening of Russia’s independence as the world power, it is very important its participation in the international and regional organizations. Its membership in Group of Eight” and in “Group of Twenty” has crucial importance for Russia which have received still more value in the result of world financial crisis. China is the key partner for Russia in the Shanghai organization and BRIC.

Russia carefully supervises the access of foreign partners and firms to the resources with a view of preservation of the independence. Russia is slow in entry into WTO as it can open so undesired access to its economy. It keeps the control over the oil- and gas pipelines from the same reasons and, therefore, doesn't join easy approach requirements.

But what interest does the West have to Russia? It is connected, as a rule, with power deliveries first of all. Russia takes the first place in the world by the presence of natural gas deposits. How much the role of Russia in power deliveries shows that fact that Germany imports 32 % of consumed natural gas and more than 30 % of oil from Russia. Such countries as Finland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Bulgaria almost completely depend on gas deliveries from Russia. Such countries as Austria, Turkey, Greece have the dependence of more than 60 %. The volume of deliveries to the European countries makes more than 30 % except France, Switzerland, Italy and Romania. The dependence of Europe on the Russian oil is expressed not so strongly.

But Russia still interests as the stability factor. The status of great or world power isn't appropriated only on presence of ambitions, but results from the recognition of other powers. Therefore the participation in the decision of sharp global problems is expected from Russia: conflict settlement in the Near East, negotiations with the North Korea on “nuclear” theme, the nuclear disarmament of Iran … Russia is the irreplaceable partner for world situation stabilization at global level in all these questions.

The interests of all frontier states consist in finding the neighbor represented by Russia with whom it will be possible to solve any problems. The hopes and expectations of the frontier countries in relation to their big and powerful neighbor consist in that. The neighbors of Russia are directly interested in maintenance of its internal stability.

It is necessary the closer coordination with Russia for the further development of the European potential in the world. How it will look in the organizational sense? –It isn't solved yet at the moment. Whether it occurs on the basis of membership in European Economic Community or on the basis of the contract, formation of various institutes, the time will show.

The historical way of Russia, not only in the XX century, but even today, was always alone. Even now Russia tries to act alone, but after all there is an integration experience of Europe. The process of the European association has shown that it is possible to achieve much more with the joint efforts. If Russia really wants to become the strategic partner of the world and Europe, it should listen to modern forms of cooperation. And though the role of Russia in the world is not so great in many respects, it is still very far from the present partnership. So it is necessary to reach the strategic partnership still …