U.S. - Russia

I have for some time now been planning a panel discussion on U.S. – Russia relations as part of the Institute’s program this Spring. It seems appropriate in the context of the actions of Vice President Biden to change the focus of foreign policy of the country. It appears that the new administration will work towards fixing the impaired relationship with Russia. The moving force behind this change is the shift in foreign policy priorities by the new administration towards focusing on Iran and Afghanistan, and the desire to ensure support on the matter from the Russian side. A stated change of attitudes on the issue of Georgia’s joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is believed to have followed after proposals for the U.S. to leave Kyrgyzstan’s Manas air base through which NATO and U.S. troops are supplied in Afghanistan. It has been argued that Russia influenced the decision to request the eviction. The most recent developments come after the meeting between Vice President Biden and Deputy Prime Minister Ivanov in Munich as both have expressed the intention to work towards better co-operation between the two countries.