Coming to Grips with Russian Exceptionalism
EU Observer runs an interesting piece today about a squabble within the European Union. The French, craving distinction from its presidency, asked the member states to agree to re-start negotiations with Russia over a new treaty. EU Foreign Policy tsar Solano assisted with a “expert assessment” that suggests the discussions are needed, even if undesirable in light of Russia’s invasion of Georgia.
Well, the Lithuanians have refused to play ball. Here is a quote from them
“France and Germany are still dreaming of the Russia of the 1990s. Meanwhile, Russian tanks are parked in an EU neighbourhood country,”
Underlying this discussion is a basic shift in attitude that should not go without some notice. During the 1990’s the rhetoric was that Russia should be judged according to western standards (respect for rule of law, etc.). The suggestion now is that, like it or not, Russia is too important to be judged this way. Its domestic “challenges” are its own problem, and one hopes that its hegemonistic ambitions are only sporadically violent even if they are usually coercive.
May I ask, what kind of future does this offer?