Council on Foreign Relations

This symposium was made possible through the generous support of the European Commission, CFR's Program on International Institutions and Global Governance, and the Robina Foundation.

Symposium Summary Report (85K)

This symposium was made possible through the generous support of BP.

Symposium Summary Report (PDF, 98K)

The war on terrorism opened a huge opportunity to put Russian-American relations on a different and more constructive long-term footing. This was the subject of the Council on Foreign Relations-Harriman Institute Roundtable in 2001-2002.

In 2002-2003, the project directors focused the group more closely on an area that seemed poised for new progress under President Putin: Russia's integration into the international economy. Sessions have addressed the question of a Russian-American energy "alliance"; Russian accession to the WTO and relations with the European Union; and the domestic political backdrop of Putin's strategy. A session held in early May assessed the impact of Iraq on Russian-American relations and Russian foreign policy more broadly.

In 2003-2004, sessions focused on the coming Russian election cycle (Putin faced re-election in March), while using the occasion to examine how Russian developments have and have not met expectations since 1991.

The roundtable's current focus is on the evolution of Russian domestic politics in the wake of President Putin's re-election, the YUKOS affair, and the higher priority assigned to democratization by the United States.

The Kennan Roundtable is an on-going series of meetings that focus on the major policy questions posed by changing U.S. relationships with Russia and the former Soviet states of Eurasia. Whether measured by the near-alliance between Presidents Bush and Putin, the establishment of bases in Central Asia, or Ukraine's decision to seek NATO membership, there has been significant enhancement of these relationships since September 11. Understanding their durability and direction is the principal aim.

Meetings examine areas of expanding cooperation, such as Moscow's unfolding energy strategy and the security of sensitive nuclear materials. We will also look at emerging areas of discord. In the case of Russia, these include the tensions associated with its recurrent pressures on Georgia; in the case of Ukraine and Central Asia, the continuing emphasis placed by U.S. policy on democratization and human rights.

This project helps to foster the study of and debate about an American grand strategy for the twenty-first century. The group examines contending visions of order and seeks to promote a more fertile discussion of desirable outcomes and how policymakers can achieve them.

The first book generated by this study group was The End of the American Era: U.S. Foreign Policy and the Geopolitics of the Twenty-first Century, by Charles A. Kupchan, the project director. The study group played a key role in providing feedback on the book during the drafting of the manuscript. The book addresses how the United States can manage peacefully the transition to a world of multiple centers of power.

The current phase of the study group focuses on understanding the sources of stable peace -- how groupings of countries can form lasting partnerships and eliminate geopolitical competition. A book on this topic, along with several articles, will be the main published product. The book will examine a number of historical case studies of rapprochement, security communities and unions, exploring how zones of peace form and when and why they sometimes unravel. The book will draw policy conclusions relevant to preserving current zones of peace -- such as the Atlantic community -- as well as building new ones -- such as in East Asia.

The Contending Paradigms Study Group is made possible through the generosity of John McCloy.

Stephen Sestanovich reviews Russia and the Arabs, by Yevgeny Primakov.

Charles A. Kupchan identifies conditions for success in the war in Afghanistan.

G. John Ikenberry and Charles A. Kupchan argue that as it reaches its 50th anniversary, the U.S.-Japan alliance needs updating.

Jeffrey Mankoff discusses the oil dispute between Russia and Belarus, and its ramifications for greater Europe.

Jeffrey Mankoff argues that the United States should find ways to solve the Iranian nuclear problem without Russia.

Stephen Sestanovich discusses Vice President Joseph Biden's recent statements on Russia.

James M. Goldgeier questions whether Cold War mentalities on the part of Russia and the United States still need to be overcome twenty years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

James M. Goldgeier discusses NATO's 60th anniversary.

Stephen Sestanovich discusses the Jackson-Vanik amendment and its role in defining American policy toward the Soviet Union.

Jeffrey Mankoff argues that "the success of attempts to build a strategic partnership will largely rest with Russia."

Stephen Sestanovich argues that the president's ability to overhaul the U.S. foreign policy agenda depends heavily on how the administration deals with Congress.

Stephen Sestanovich argues that Europe's initial reactions toward President Obama may be in line with history.

Jeffrey Mankoff argues that President Obama's meeting with Dmitry Medvedev during the G-20 summit offers an opportunity for Washington to "recalibrate" its policy toward Russia.

James M. Goldgeier argues that while NATO has much to celebrate during its 60th anniversary, it must overcome its inability to operate effectively as a military alliance in Afghanistan in order to be relevant in the 21st century.

Charles Kupchan and Adam Mount argue that the end of Western dominance means a new foreign policy principle is needed to advance international order.