For the past few days, the key playersin Europe had their hands full with forging a series of landmark events which are believed to paint a new panorama for the continent's future political and security landscape with the announcement of an "end of the Cold War and the start of a new era."
On May 25, United States President George W. Bush, during his first trip to Russia after taking office, signed with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, a ground-breaking pact for the dramatic reduction of their respective nuclear arsenals.
Three days later, leaders of the NATO member states and Russia signed the Rome Declaration, announcing the establishment of the NATO-Russia Council.
On May 29, leaders of the European Union (EU) met with Putin inMoscow to map out a new blueprint for the future development of bilateral relations.
These events, described as epoch-making, are widely viewed as scores achieved by Russia's new pro-West policies, which are defended by Putin who said they grew out of considerations for thefuture development of his country.
The dramatic slashing of nuclear weapons by Russia and the U.S.was warmly welcomed by European actors who traditionally deem Russia's huge nuclear arsenals as a big, potential threat. In their views, the removal of fears, realized by the nuclear arsenalslash by the two nuclear powers, would contribute to peace and stability in the world in general and their region in particular.
Meanwhile, the setting up of the NATO-Russia Council, often quoted as "NATO at 20", in which Russia is granted equal status with NATO member states, gives Russia more say in cooperation withthe 19-member military alliance. The new mechanism, termed by Putin as "an important step" in the direction of true partnership built on mutual trust, is expected to allow Russia more involvement in Europe's political and security affairs. The fence-mending move, since NATO launched its 1999 Kosovo War, helped Russia inch closer to the West, observers say.
Russia, whose economy has been sluggish over the past few years,badly needs capital and technology from the West to inject fresh dynamism into its climbing economy. And the safe and secure environment on the continent is a pre-requisite for Russia's economic revival.
Fully aware of the reality, Russia reaches out to the 15-memberEU, which has been striving for the building of a bigger European market with Russia. Wednesday's summit meeting in Moscow is expected to translate such intentions from the two sides into a new boost to their climbing economies.
However, it is too early to say Russia's pro-West policies would be rewarded as anticipated, since the memories of empty promises from the West in the 1990s are still fresh in Russians' minds. There are still some hard-core critics in Russia who frequently voice their concerns over Putin's pro-West policies. Many European statesmen with vision tend to hold that as far as geopolitics is concerned, both the EU and Russia need to cooperatemore closely to counter the growing unilateralism of the United States.
The war in Afghanistan is a big reminder of Europe being marginalized by the U.S. in the fight against international terrorism. The EU's growing disparities with the U.S. on Europe's political, economic and security issues provide Moscow with a rareopportunity to "merge more into the West." Any major change in thecomplicated relationship between Russia, Europe and the U.S. would,to some extent, change the political landscape on the European continent, observers believe.
Russia's "merging into the West" is certain to hold many implications. Like a double-edged sword, it brings both gains and pains. While bringing Europe closer to Russia, it also pushes Russia a big step nearer to the West. But either way would break the current balance of Europe's political, economic and security macro-structure and help reshape a new future for the continent.
( May 31, 2002)
