| Among the most important foreign policy priorities | | | | unipolar periods and seen aspirations to world |
| likely to face the next U.S. President will be the task | | | | supremacy. And what hasn't happened in world |
| of rebuilding the eroding U.S.-Russia relationship. Russia | | | | history? |
| is currently engaged in a policy of employing its | | | | However, what is a unipolar world? |
| diplomatic leverage to "counterbalance" the United | | | | ...It is [a] world in which there is one master, one |
| States. In the future, if the diminishing relationship is | | | | sovereign. And at the end of the day this is |
| not repaired, Russia could well begin to put its hard | | | | pernicious not only for all those within this system, |
| power into play, as well. Such a development would | | | | but also for the sovereign itself because it destroys |
| diminish the United States' ability to safeguard and | | | | itself from within... |
| advance its critical global interests at a time when it | | | | I consider that the unipolar model is not only |
| has suffered a major loss of credibility at enormous | | | | unacceptable but also impossible in today's world. And |
| cost in the wake of its decision to go to war in Iraq. | | | | this is not only because if there was individual |
| The challenge of bringing about an improved | | | | leadership in today's-and precisely in today's-world, |
| relationship is still a manageable one. However, if the | | | | then the military, political and economic resources |
| United States is to have a reasonable chance at | | | | would not suffice. What is even more important is |
| success, it will need to understand Russia's concerns | | | | that the model itself is flawed because at its basis |
| with regard to American unilateralism and make | | | | there is and can be no moral foundations for modern |
| appropriate policy changes that limit its unilateralism to | | | | civilization. |
| situations where unilateralist approaches are truly | | | | Along with this, what is happening in today's world...is |
| necessary. | | | | a tentative to introduce precisely this concept into |
| In the post-Cold War world, fears the consequences | | | | international affairs, the concept of a unipolar world. |
| of state failure and instability on its expansive | | | | And with which results? |
| frontier. Clifford Gaddy and Fiona Hill of The | | | | Unilateral and frequently illegitimate actions have not |
| Brookings Institution explained, "Given its location in a | | | | resolved any problems. Moreover they have caused |
| volatile neighborhood encompassing Central Asia, the | | | | new human tragedies and created new centers of |
| Middle East and Northeast Asia, and including several | | | | tension. Judge for yourselves: wars as well as local |
| states on a potential collision course with the United | | | | and regional conflicts have not diminished... |
| States-Iraq, Iran, China, and North Korea-Russia is | | | | Today we are witnessing an almost uncontained |
| extremely vulnerable to the unintended | | | | hyper use of force-military force-in international |
| consequences of U.S. action. A unilateralist approach | | | | relations, force that is plunging the world into an |
| on the part of the United States, Putin believes could | | | | abyss of permanent conflicts. As a result we do not |
| prove disastrous for Russia." | | | | have sufficient strength to find a comprehensive |
| The still fairly recent and aggressive turn to | | | | solution to any one of these conflicts Finding a |
| unilateralism by the United States was driven by | | | | political settlement also becomes impossible. |
| perceptions of a new global reality that followed the | | | | Putin explicitly blamed the United States for such |
| end of the Cold War. When the Cold War concluded, | | | | developments. "One state and, of course, first and |
| the Soviet Union was in the last days of its life (soon | | | | foremost the United States, has overstepped its |
| afterward, it fractured into a number of economically | | | | national borders in every way," he charged, "This is |
| and politically weak successor states). At that time, | | | | visible in the economic, political, cultural and |
| the U.S. appeared to have gained primacy in world | | | | educational policies it imposes on other nations." A |
| affairs, especially in the eyes of an emerging | | | | full-fledged rupture in U.S.-Russia relations is still |
| Neoconservative school of foreign policy thought that | | | | avoidable. In fact, the relationship can still be repaired |
| was beginning to diverge from the pragmatic Realism | | | | fairly easily, as unilateralism, and not a clash of critical |
| that had predominated through the end of the Cold | | | | interests between the two nations, is at the root of |
| War. In their view, a "multipolar" world had been | | | | the worsening relationship. A pragmatic, |
| replaced by a "Unipolar" one. "The center of world | | | | interest-driven U.S. foreign policy that restores |
| power is an unchallenged superpower, the United | | | | primacy to diplomacy, eliminates idealistic "Regime |
| States, attended by its Western allies," leading | | | | Change," and returns emphasis to relations between |
| Neoconservative thinker Charles Krauthammer wrote. | | | | allies and great powers can overturn the unilateralism |
| He added, "There is today no lack of second-rank | | | | that is currently harming the relationship. Specifically, |
| powers. Germany and Japan are economic dynamos. | | | | such a policy would entail among the following |
| Britain and France can deploy diplomatic and to some | | | | features: |
| extent military assets. The Soviet Union possesses | | | | - A negotiated energy pact in which the United |
| several elements of power-military, diplomatic and | | | | States and Russia would ensure cooperation with |
| political-but all are in rapid decline. There is but one | | | | regard to Central Asia's energy resources and bring |
| first-rate power and no prospect in the immediate | | | | an end to the emerging energy rivalry now evolving. |
| future of any power to rival it." The Soviet Union, | | | | In the partnership, both nations would embrace the |
| according to Krauthammer, had become nothing | | | | principle of open access and collaborate to address |
| more than a "second-rank" power and one that was | | | | issues that might arise. Neither would make unilateral |
| in "rapid decline" to boot. | | | | decisions that would undermine the core interests of |
| Russia was humiliated. At the same time, it was | | | | the other. |
| constrained by its major weakness. Emboldened by | | | | - Full support for Russia's fight against terrorism in its |
| the march of world events, Neoconservative thinkers | | | | semi-autonomous Chechen region and elimination of |
| believed that the new "Unipolar" world made U.S. | | | | demands that Russia to negotiate with the Chechen |
| consideration of the major interests of the world's | | | | terrorists. Such calls are unreasonable and have |
| other great powers relatively less important than in it | | | | angered Russia's government. In the aftermath of |
| was past. Under such an assumption, they advocated | | | | the Beslan massacre-Russia's 9/11-Putin blasted U.S. |
| an increasingly assertive unilateral approach to U.S. | | | | calls for negotiations angrily exclaiming, "Why don't |
| foreign policy toward creating a safer world. | | | | you meet Osama Bin Laden, invite him to Brussels or |
| In stark contrast, Russia saw unilateralism as | | | | to the White House and engage in talks..." |
| hazardous to international peace and security. Today, | | | | - Full NATO membership and responsibilities and |
| Russia continues to believe that single-power | | | | authority within the relationship that would be |
| hegemony and a unilateralist approach to foreign | | | | commensurate with its role as a great power. Until |
| policy are dangerous and destabilizing. Consequently, it | | | | that happens, no missiles or missile defense systems |
| views U.S. unilateralism as posing a threat to its critical | | | | would be placed in countries that constitute Russia's |
| interests and wellbeing. | | | | "Near Abroad." The existing NATO guarantee of |
| Toward that end, Russian President Vladimir Putin has | | | | collective security would be maintained. At the same |
| consistently spoken out on those issues. On May 8, | | | | time, Russia would commit to working with the U.S. |
| 2001, he declared that "claims to world domination...still | | | | and NATO to help mitigate missile threats or, if |
| are the cause of many wars" and that "these sorts | | | | necessary, help contain the countries against which |
| of claims still linger on today and this is very | | | | the anti-missile system is intended to afford |
| dangerous." A day later, he added, "Our entire | | | | protection. |
| post-war [post-World War II] history teaches us that | | | | - A free trade agreement to more closely integrate |
| no country can build a safer world for itself alone, | | | | Russia into the global and western economies. Such a |
| and even more so, cannot build its security to the | | | | mutually beneficial interdependence could mitigate |
| detriment of others." | | | | Russian "counterbalancing." |
| Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, a wholly | | | | - Restoration of a military doctrine of pre-emption as |
| Neoconservative approach to foreign policy | | | | opposed to proactive war. Proactive war, particularly |
| blossomed in the U.S. Unilateralism became arguably | | | | in the absence of a credible and imminent threat to |
| the major means by which the U.S. conducted its | | | | nation's critical interests, undermines respect for the |
| relations with the international community. "Regime | | | | norms of international law and increases instability in |
| Change" replaced "Containment" and "proactive war" | | | | the region in which such conflicts occur. Application of |
| replaced "pre-emption." In June 2002, the U.S. | | | | military force before diplomacy has been exhausted |
| withdrew from the ABM Treaty. In March 2003, it | | | | makes it more difficult for nation's to achieve |
| invaded Iraq in the face of strong Russian opposition | | | | differences in the diplomatic arena, as countries |
| and in the absence of a United Nations Security | | | | would more than likely focus on deterring an attack |
| Council resolution. Currently, it is pursuing plans to | | | | that could occur before meaningful negotiations had a |
| place 10 missile interceptors in Poland and a radar | | | | chance to find agreement. |
| system in the Czech Republic to construct a limited | | | | None of these policies would compromise critical U.S. |
| missile defense shield against countries such as Iran. | | | | interests. None of these policies would harm to U.S. |
| Russian alarm grew. | | | | national security. Instead, they would create a |
| On February 10, 2007, President Putin made a seminal | | | | post-unilateralist framework under which the |
| speech that detailed his objections to the | | | | geopolitically important U.S.-Russia relationship could be |
| Neoconservatives' "Unipolar" vision and U.S. | | | | renewed and improved. Such a development would |
| uniltateralism. Excerpts from Putin's speech at the | | | | be mutually-beneficial to both countries and could, |
| Munich Conference on Security Policy detail his views | | | | over time, be a force for increased stability in parts |
| and follow: | | | | of the world where stability is currently difficult to |
| The history of humanity certainly has gone through | | | | achieve. |