Külügyi Szemle - A Magyar Külügyi Intézet folyóirata - 2009 (8. évfolyam)
2009 / 2. szám - OROSZORSZÁG - Sz. Bíró Zoltán: Oroszország visszatérése: kockázatok és lehetőségek
Résumé The Return of Russia: Risks and Opportunities The author first briefly discusses the Russian-American relations in the 1990s, then it goes on to analyze the consequences of the terrorist attacks against the United States in 2001 on the relationship between the two countries. It was a new - and, to some extent a unique - situation in which the permanent - and, perhaps, perpetual - demilitarization of the relations between Moscow and the West seemed to be getting within reach, and Russia's full European integration in the not so distant future seemed possible. It was also a time when Moscow seemed to have the opportunity to establish trustful relations both with the leading powers of Europe and the U.S. as well. The essay analyzes in details the reasons why this 'window of opportunity' (2001-2003) came to an end, then it goes on to discuss the sources of the 'new lack of trust' which emerged between Moscow and Washington, from the 'color revolutions' through the planned European missile defense to Iran and the expansion of NATO. Meanwhile, efforts are taken to present the contents and origins of the new Russian political self-confidence, as well as to review the rather serious consequences of the world economic depression on Moscow. Finally, the study touches the dilemma - which has not been solved yet - whether the Obama Administration will be trying to take advantage of Moscow's shattered positions in the coming years and, thus, risking losing the opportunity of a mutually beneficial agreement by misunderstanding their consequences, or it will find cooperation and the restoration of the mutual trust more important and, thus, will 'tune again' its Russian policy in this spirit. 64 Külügyi Szemle
