Review: Russia and Europe in the Twenty-First Century

Abstract

RUSSIA AND EUROPE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY An Uneasy Partnership Jackie Gower and Graham Timmins, editors London and New York: Anthem Press, 2007. 333 pp, ^50 cloth (ISBN: 9781-84331-220-8)Since the early 1990s, European-Russian relations have gone through several phases, from hopes for a strategic partnership to European fears of Russian energy blackmail. Both sides recognize that their relations have come to a turning point, with a need to move away from empty rhetoric in order to make real progress on concrete issues of mutual interest. But given that the exact path forward remains unclear, a clear-eyed and comprehensive understanding of relations between and Russia is crucial today.Russia and in the Twenty- First Century offers a broad overview of the current state of the relationship. Though it focuses on the situation at the end of Putin's second term as president, the contributions remain relevant, especially considering that recent events have confirmed the authors' arguments. The book's starting point is the observation that neither the Russians nor the Europeans are satisfied with the status quo in their relations. Putin's realism accepted the limits of Russian foreign policy, but Moscow has nevertheless been unable to achieve its goal of an equal voice on major security developments in and around Europe. The enlargement of NATO and the EU, and growing western interests in the former Soviet republics, have challenged Russia's geopolitical objectives (290). From the European point of view, the erosion of Russian democracy and the emergence of a gap between Brussels and Moscow has been especially disappointing (53). Yet the EU's two -level game - in which members pursue independent policies towards Russia while calling for action - has posed problems of its own (119, 169). Disagreements within NATO have only exacerbated the situation. The result is that the political cohesion necessary for concerted action is still a long way off.The Russo -European strategic partnership has generally brought few results. Structural obstacles and conflicting principles have further strained the relationship. In fact, the EU has no idea how to fit Russia into the Europe (120). Russian hostility to European rhetoric on values and norms is rising, and Moscow increasingly doubts whether normative convergence with the EU is necessary (53). The four common spaces that were established in May 2003 and the subsequent road maps were meant to provide a foundation for a more realistic approach to the relationship. Yet they only identify possible areas for cooperation without specifying the intermediate stages or ultimate destination. Neither side is satisfied with the state of economic cooperation. Their energy policies, for instance, point in opposite directions. While Russia is expanding the state's role in the energy sector, the EU is calling for market competition and diversification.Both sides recognize their growing mutual dependence. However, the shared values and vision for European order that are necessary for a genuine strategic partnership are absent. For the foreseeable future, then, uneasy is the best way to describe the partnership (292). The EU must focus on selected areas of mutual interest, and must deal with the Russia that it faces instead of proceeding on false assumptions. Yet even a new pragmatic attitude will suffer problems. …