Essay Instructions: Essay
Write an essay of 1000 words (text only) on one of the following topic.
Topic (module 5) How does Russia regard NATO? What events have intensified these
Note: Module 5 will be included later in this document
Note:
Papers should be typed (double line-spacing), as well as spell-checked. All students must
submit their assignments on EASE which can be accessed via the course Study Desk. Please
submit this assignment on (or before) the due date so as to avoid penalties for late
submission. All assignments must use Harvard AGPS referencing.
An important note on sources
When preparing Assignment 2, students must consult and cite at least five (5) relevant
books or book chapter, and cite four (4) relevant journal articles. If students wish to use
Internet sources they must be restricted to one (1) appropriate Internet source. Information
on determining the reliability of Internet Sources follows the marking criteria sheets. You
must consult and cite relevant hard copy sources and these sources should be the primary
sources from which you draw your information.
Resource from Module 5:
Selected readings
5.3: Trenin, Dimitri 2009, ?Russia Reborn?, Foreign Affairs, vol.?88, no.?6, pp. 64?78.
5.4: Goldgeier, James 2009, ?A Realistic Reset with Russia?, Policy Review, vol.?156, (August/September), pp. 15?26.
The assigned text reading on Russia begins with a consideration of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics (USSR) circa 1991, when the state was considered a ?superpower in flux? until it ultimately collapsed in December 1991. While there has been relative stability and an arrest of Russia?s decline under Putin, one cannot forget that after the collapse of the USSR, Russia continued to descend into serious economic decline (this decline has its roots in Yeltsin?s radical market-reform policies that were initiated prior to the collapse), as well as social and ethnic instability with all the former republics of the Soviet Union experiencing varying levels of turmoil. In fact, corruption and organised crime have emerged as serious problems in post-Soviet Russia and the human security of the Russian population has been compromised as a result. The social instability and resultant widespread poverty also caused birth rates in Russia to plummet during this period, death rates increased and human and sex trafficking flourished alongside the growing corruption and organised criminal activity. The years under Yeltsin?s rule were particularly tumultuous. However, this is not surprising considering the rapid transition that the former states of the Soviet Union were facing. Even so, during the transition period Yeltsin?s government was incapable of collecting income tax, so for a time many taxes went unpaid. This had a damaging effect on national revenues, which remained low even after Putin introduced a comprehensive taxation system in 2001. In order to avoid taxation however, there is a very active informal black market economy still operating within Russia and it is believed that the informal economy may actually be double the size of Russia?s formal economy.
If one considers Russia?s foreign policy it is important to note that between 1992 and 1996, Russia?s outlook changed from a fairly liberal, pro-Western outlook to a more statist view of Russia?s role in world affairs and the international political system. Behind the scenes there was a lot of in-fighting among the Russian parliament and there was also a heated debate as to the one-sided nature of Russia?s relations with the West, whereby it appeared that Russia was conceding a great deal militarily without receiving commensurable aid/economic support or technology transfer from the West. Russia responded with a new assertiveness in global affairs, although the Primakov doctrine, which enshrined multilateralism in Russia?s foreign policy approach, meant that rather than going back to a foe of the US and the West, Russia instead played the role of a ?soft balancer? between the US and India and China. These efforts however did not result in any great show of power by Russia and it wasn?t until Putin assumed the presidency in 1999 that Russia?s foreign policy became more affective and cohesive.
Moscow?s central business district reflects the great changes that have taken place in Russia since the collapse of the USSR.?
Putin?s foreign policy was more assertive than Yeltsin?s, reflected in his decision to go against the wishes of his cabinet and to support the US?s war in Afghanistan following 9/11. The act was reciprocated with Bush supporting Putin?s war in Chechnya in 2001?2. Containing Islamic terrorism became an important part of Russia?s strategy in Central Asia and the Russian Defence Minister incorporated the doctrine of pre-emptive strike into their own defence posturing. Putin also prioritised foreign economic policy as a means of boosting the Russian economy. This has resulted in arms sales between Russia and China and India, as well as Russian technology transfer to India, a move that has concerned Washington. His hard-line stance against NATO was also concerning as is the alarming possibility of Russia?s re-militarising causing a serious security dilemma in Central and North-East Asia. However, the abundance of natural resources that Russia controls means that it is fast becoming the energy power. Approximately 80% of Russia?s exports are resources and energy prices have been a key component of Russian diplomacy since Yeltsin. This helps to increase Russian power in world affairs however Russia no longer has the power or the economic and military capacity to rival the US in international affairs. It will be interesting to see how the presidency of Medvedev plays out and how he is received on the international stage.
Your assigned text reading expands on the above points. The assigned selected readings go deeper on certain aspects of this topic. The first selected reading considers the ?rebirth? of Russia and proposes that Russia has still not found its ?role? in the international system. It examines how Russia?s attempts to integrate with the West were unsuccessful and yet so have its attempts to become an independent great power. The author contends that this is because the Russian leadership have not yet broken away from the Soviet empire mindset and that in order for Russia to avoid stagnation and decline it must move away from its default position of nationalism and isolationism and embrace modernisation, democratisation and capitalism and that it must radically reform its economy away from a dependency on energy.
The second assigned selected reading considers American-Russian relations over time. It discusses many of the important themes and events that have impacted on the relationship and considers the relationship being forged by Presidents Obama and Medvedev.
