U.S., Europe to Form United Front to Russia
United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will visit America’s European allies ‘to talk with NATO allies about what message the West should send to Russia following its invasion of Georgia.’
Rice said Russia cannot use “disproportionate force” and still ‘be welcomed by international institutions.’
“It’s not going to happen that way,” she said. “Russia will pay a price.”
Although that certainly sounds forceful the question is what she and US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates plan to do. At this moment the two are not specific. Nothing that would send a clear signal to Russia and punish it for its aggressive behavior has been proposed yet.
Gates explained why this is. “There is no need to rush into everything. We don’t want to do it unilaterally,” he said.
“I think there needs to be a strong, unified response to Russia to send the message that this kind of behavior, characteristic of the Soviet period, has no place in the 21st century,” Gates said.
Rice’s decision to visit Europe comes after U.S. intelligence reports in which it is claimed that Russia has started moving missile launchers into South Ossetia, the breakaway Georgian province. It seems that Russia wants to turn South Ossetia into a second Armenia; military bases are placed in this country and, at least according to Azerbaijani govermnent officials, these bases were used to strike against Georgia.
If Russia now moves troops and missile launchers into South Ossetia it increases the scope of its military. It will make it easier for the Russians to attack other former Soviet Republics in the region. This will, of course, have quite a big impact in the region, especially if Europe and the U.S. don’t do much to contain the Russian imperialist ambitions.
The American approach – working with Europe rather than unilaterally – makes sense though. Rice, Gates and Bush wants ‘the West’ to counter Russia, not just the U.S. This should not be between Russia and the United States, it should be between Russia and the free world. West European countries like Germany and Britain have started to respond angrily to the Russian invasion of Georgia in recent days. The U.S. realizes this, and is trying to unite the West like it has not been united ever since the fall of the Soviet Union.
There is a lot at stake for Europe as well. This should not between the U.S. and Russia because the situation in the region matters to Europe as well.
One of the best short term moves that the West could make is to give NATO security guarantees to the Ukraine. As I argued elsewhere on this site, the Ukraine is a vital part of Putin’s strategic plan to turn Europe into a Russian sphere of influence. Unlike most eastern European countries it has both a large population and a large, though poorly equipped, army.
In the longer term more difficult decisions need to be made. European energy seems to have to come from either Russia or Iran, neither is a savoury regime.