The report examines how the Russia’s and United States` ties with the countries in post-Soviet Eurasia affect the bilateral relationship. The authors argue that despite the initial successes of the “reset” in Russia-U.S. relations, disputes relating to post-Soviet Eurasia represent “a ‘landmine’ in Russia -U.S. relations that could ‘detonate’ at any time and seriously complicate cooperation on other issues. The study identifies key sources of Russia - U.S. tensions in post-Soviet Eurasia and recommends specific measures to facilitate improvement.
The draft report “U.S.-Russia Relations in Post-Soviet Eurasia: Transcending the Zero-Sum Game.” was discussed at the third meeting of the Working Group on the Future of Russia-U.S. relations at Harvard in May 2011.
Authors:
Mikhail Troitskiy, Russian member of the Working Group
Samuel Charap, U.S. member of the Working Group
The Working Group was founded in the spring of 2010 with the aim of overcoming the lingering mistrust that dominates policy debate about the bilateral relationship in both countries. The group’s 20 members meet twice a year, alternating between Cambridge, Mass., and Moscow, Russia. Each meeting is devoted to analysis of a single subject, with the results integrated into a paper coauthored by one American and one Russian. This unique, truly bilateral approach allows the Working Group to generate path-breaking policy proposals that reflect the interests of both countries.
