Russia if the West's important rival and a great temptation all rolled into one. The European Union and United States are helplessly drawn to Russian riches. They are particularly itching to have a try at managing these riches. Not by confiscating them or anything, but by channeling the use of these resources in the direction they will point out. Friction inevitably begins when Western politicians encounter Moscow's determination to have them treat it on an equal footing. Or at least to have them acknowledge its right to pursue an independent policy.
As a matter of fact, Russia's attitude with regard to the West is faulty too. Analogous ambiguity permeates it. The Russians are annoyed by the readiness with which countries of the West mind Russia's own businesses and by their ill-concealed willingness to tell it what to do and how to do it regardless of whether or not their advice is sought. The Russians are disturbed by the policy of the international community aimed to reasonably (from its standpoint) contain Moscow and the part it is playing in international affairs.
Criticized as it is, Washington is performing some global functions whose necessity is not denied. American finances multiplied by US soldiers, diplomats, and politicians stopped international terrorism in 2001-2003 and compelled the latter to check its advance and resort to sporadic actions. More or less successful solution to the problem of terrorist bases in the Russian Caucasus and abatement of terrorist threat in Central Asia are side effects of the wars the United States has been fighting in the Middle East. Even rapprochement of some Central Asian countries with Russia is a corollary of American foreign policy.
Badly frightened by the prospects of "new regimes" and "color revolutions", certain conservative governments in the Commonwealth disabused themselves of the illusion of becoming pals with Washington on the anti-Russian platform.
One would think we should combine efforts with the United States now to make North Korea see the light, show the Iranian mullahs their proper place in the greater scheme of things, do away with Somalian pirates, and restore order in Darfur. We quarrel instead. Over recognition of self-proclaimed midget states in the Caucasus and Balkans. Over solution (military as opposed to political) of the problem posed by Iran. Over expansion of the infrastructure of American military-political control over the areas along the Russian borders... Shall Russia and the West try something else instead? Shall we try to develop a prototype of the future Russian-NATO infrastructure of threat prevention in the Caspian-Baltic region, for example? It never even occurs to the West how revolutionary and innovative this idea is to the traditional Russian strategic way of thinking with its obsession with "military-strategic parity"! In the meantime, this is precisely what President Putin was talking about when he suggested the joint Russian-US use of the radar in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
Global instability is fomented by world powers' eagerness to have their hands untied and willingness to act regardless of others. International partnership meanwhile stands for mutual restrictions - asymmetric or not. Unfortunately, self-imposed restrictions are not for the US Republicans. Aware all along how unscrupulous they have been, they deliberately boost the heat of foreign political propaganda to gain better and better footing in West Eurasia while the world is busy being indignant. Objectively, the world became monopolar at the onset of the previous decade. In the middle of this decade, however, it became a world of singular actions. That America proved the strongest does not matter. That it refuses to even consider others does.
Discord between Western and Eastern members of the Alliance, America's scuffles with Russia and China, confrontation between the Arab world and America - all of that intensified by Washington's penchant for single-handed action creates the atmosphere of "the eve of calamities". The feeling of insecurity is amplified by the creeping global financial crisis launched from Washington.
Speaking in Munich a year ago, Putin officially said what all capitals had been discussing in private - complexity of global problems reached the point where it is no longer prudent to rely on their solution by the United States alone or by "coalitions of the chosen". Peace and stability in the world are impossible without the United States. Practically everyone wishes for cooperation with America. The only catch is, America itself does not think it needs anybody else. Shall we establish some sort of a global alliance for partnership with America? There may be something to the idea. The problem is, making America itself the leader in this organization will be improper but the United States will accept nothing less than that. That's the problem of any dialogue with the Americans over absolutely everything. (And yes, this is where the Russians are not any better than the Americans.)
