Sixty years ago the Berlin Airlift highlighted the menace of Stalin's Kremlin. Forty years ago Soviet tanks crushed both the Prague Spring and any remaining illusions about the Kremlin's grip on the captive nations. Twenty years ago we began dropping our guard, as totalitarianism withered under Mikhail Gorbachev. Now it is time to acknowledge the inconvenient truth. Russia is back: rich, powerful and hostile. Partnership is giving way to rivalry, with increasingly threatening overtones. The new Cold War has begun - but just as in the 1940s, we are alarmingly slow to notice it.
The loudest alarm signal is Russia's predictable yet mystifying presidential election on March 2. Predictable because everyone knows who will win: Dmitri Medvedev, Vladimir Putin's polite, lawyerly sidekick; mystifying because the meaning of that victory is so unclear. Will Mr Medvedev be a mere figurehead? Will he stand down and allow Mr Putin to return? What does his stint running Russia's energy giant, Gazprom, one of the world's most corrupt, incompetent and sinister companies, tell us about his plans for the future? What does his rise mean for the clans of crooks and spooks whose murky feuds have increased so sharply in past months? Once a dead art, Kremlinology is now a lively and useful discipline.
Politics in Russia is a matter of life and death. Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man, is on prison hunger strike in protest against the ill-treatment of his aide Vasily Aleksanyan. Mr Aleksanyan is confined in a filthy mould-infested cell because he refuses to sign a bogus confession incriminating Mr Khodorkovsky. His judicial torture, including denial of medical care, which has blinded him, has been condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. It reads like something from Dostoyevsky, not a factual account of prison conditions in supposedly one of the world's top eight industrialised democracies.
That doesn't bother most Russians. Mr Putin is wildly popular; so is Mr Medvedev. Mr Khodorkovsky and other former “oligarchs” are seen as despicable emblems of the 1990s, a decade in which Russians feel they were swindled at home and humiliated abroad. Mr Putin has brought both stability and pride. For now, democracy has failed: most Russians say they agree that the media should be controlled and that the opposition should not be allowed to contend for power.
Those feelings are complex. They are partly the result of the state-controlled media's propaganda. They also truly represent tragic misunderstandings and missed opportunities in the Yeltsin years, when oil prices were low and Russian governments struggled with crippling foreign debts. Mr Putin has been lucky - with oil at nearly $100 a barrel, Russia is bound to prosper. Yet he too is a product of the 1990s, an unemployed ex-spy who became a top official in the Yeltsin Kremlin. His denunciations of that era neglect to mention its strengths: press freedom, and also economic reforms such as privatisation and price liberalisation from which Russia has hugely benefited.
Communism has gone, but in its place has come “sovereign democracy”, a potent cocktail of self-righteousness, nationalism and xenophobia that fuels the Kremlin's power grab abroad. In the “swing states” of Eastern Europe - Bulgaria, Latvia and Moldova - we are already losing the new Cold War. We have avoided catastrophe in Serbia by a hair's breadth. The great engines of EU and Nato expansion, which brought half a continent into our orbit after the collapse of communism, have stalled.
But it is not just “faraway countries of which we know nothing” that are at stake. Russia plays divide and rule with the West, ruthlessly using our democratic politics and open economies to undermine us. It has brazenly hired Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor, to promote its biggest energy project, Nord Stream. This is a hugely expensive and strategically vital gas pipeline on the Baltic seabed that will bypass Poland and deliver gas straight to Germany. Like a rich and powerful man who becomes pathetically dependent on heroin, Germany is mainlining on Russian energy. The new pipeline hooks up addict and pusher directly. Instead of urgently diversifying away from gas and to other suppliers, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria are following the same path.
Russia has cowed and muzzled the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, supposedly the Continent's main democracy-promoting and election-monitoring body. It has nobbled the Council of Europe, a talking shop that is supposed to be the custodian of human rights. The British Conservatives, in bizarre alliance with Mr Putin's United Russia party, came within a whisker of electing a former KGB man and Kremlin propagandist, Mikhail Margelov, to the presidency. At its summit in Bucharest in April, Nato's European members are all set to kowtow to Kremlin pressure and give a cold shoulder to Georgia's bid to move towards membership. The EU can not even summon the willpower to liberalise its internal energy markets, let alone counter the Kremlin's ruthless use of cheap energy deals and lucrative pipelines.
Our biggest weakness is money. During the old Cold War, doing business with the Soviet Union was a rare and highly suspicious activity. Now bankers, lawyers, consultants and spin-doctors (and even, it is whispered, politicians) flock to take 30 silver roubles for services rendered, even when they are privately disgusted by the source. Until that changes, we have little chance of resisting the Kremlin - and even less of persuading ordinary Russians that their corrupt, cynical, brutal and incompetent rulers are harbingers of disaster, not triumph.
Edward Lucas is author of The New Cold War: how the Kremlin menaces both Russia and the West
I wonder why i havent herd anything from NATO / EU / USA or any of the human rights groups there is... And what they have to say about Khodorkovsky case :(
Nafets, Degerfors, Sweden
It's ridiculous how some people in the West are afraid of Russia, hence the articles such as this one. There is nothing good the Russians can do except maybe magically vanish to satisfy people such as the author.
What interests me is why really? There are other threats to the West as it is now, much more dangerous. The author does not like the Russian gas? How about the Muslim oil? How about everything in your neighborhood supermarket being made in China? How about the percentage of foreigners in graduate schools?
Wake up people! It's much easier to blame Russia for every problem there is, but if you actually want to solve any of them, rather than spread useless gossip, you have to drop the old veil and recognize the reality.
Peter, Paris,
Russia and the West are like gladiators in a circus. Our politicians and seudo analysts are unable to see beyond the illusions of Enlightenment. We are marching toward our comun anihilation: can you guess who is enjoying the show? CHINA. They do not need us. They have enough people to populate the world, and they will, if we do not wake up now.
Aleksey, New York, USA
I wish Putin was British. I despise liberal democracy. Oh for something to believe in; oh for something worth living for.
(I have a successful financial career and a beautiful girlfriend. Its not that I'm not grateful; its just simply not what I want)
Alex, London, England
While Russia is flexing its muscles externally it keeps declining internally.
The population has been decreasing at the pace of one million per year, the suicidal rate is the third highest in the world, life expectancy is falling brutally - russian males can hope to live maximum 58 years - 20 years less than their west european counterparts, the whole country is addicted to alcohol and so on.
Russia wants to spook the world in order to avoid looking at its own frightening image in the mirror.
Yarda, Prague,
So pampered grandsons of brave Russian soldiers are fighting for reflected glory with pampered grandsons of brave British and American soldiers. Pathetically ethno-centric. Build your own identities.
Dave, Beijing, China
Okay boys, that's enough. Take deep breath... and count to ten.
Dan, Timbuktu,
This artical is just a result of very simple contradiction. The West countries have their own vision of what Russia to be. Obviosly it should be a controlled poor country supplying those countries with oil, gas, wood, etc. The resourcses must be cheep. Therefore the labor cost in Russia must be cheep. In addition to gas and oil such model gives the West a lot of other nice bonuses. Russia can be a supplier of talanted heads as well as easy going pretty women. Frankly I would like such model if I're living in some of those West countries. However, I'm living in Russia and similarly to other Russian we would like to be reach versus poor. This is why most of the Russians support Putin and his politics. It's so easy :)
dm, Moscow,
'Mr Khodorkovsky and other former “oligarchs†are seen as despicable emblems of the 1990s, a decade in which Russians feel they were swindled at home and humiliated abroad'
How could the poor simple peasants think such a thing about Khodorkovsky? Oh wait, maybe its because he is a criminal who admits to his guilt.
'when oil prices were low and Russian governments struggled with crippling foreign debts. Mr Putin has been lucky - with oil at nearly $100 a barrel, Russia is bound to prosper'
Yes, it was good when Russia's GDP plummeted during the 90s and bad when Russia's economy improved immensely in the 2000s. Of course the latter was all Yeltsin's good work, even though he had left office. By the way the whole oil bubble is a myth. Russia's oil and gas exports are a vital part of the economy, but it is booming in other ways, now that Putin has cultivated a middle class, not an apparatchik hegemony (like Yeltsin).
Gregor, Vladivostock,
"Hitlers plans to invade Britain, he decided to go after your country. Later it would have made no difference if Russia was still an ally of the NAZIs or if the NAZIs had defeated you, the nuclear weapon had appeared and they would have had no choice to surrender,"
-
Just a bit of math: Hitler attacked Russia in 1941, the first atomic test was in 1945 . It is 4 year later, day more, day less . No difference . Just the time for Russians to block Hitler near Moscow, prevent him to get the full Jackpot at Stalingrad, break down the most and the best of the panzerwaffe at Kursk...With a little help fom the allies, of course (especially for the first 2 years: the trucks, the convoys...) . But "no difference"...tell it to your dog...
Leonard, Alghero,
actually learn a few words of the local language (if they wanted to be citizens), after living in the country for 50 years? oh, the horror..
inga, stockholm,
Not "a few word", Inga. the hole language (14 declination cases, when usually there are just 6 -in German, Latin, Greek, and Russian- . And this just for starting...) . And without this "easy" language, no citizenship, and no civil servant jobs (virtually no good jobs at all) . THIS is discrimination, ain't it ?
Leonard, Alghero,
"At last Western countries start to understand and speak, that Russia is using democracy and money to rule democratic countries."
-
As every self-respecting power does...
Leonard, Alghero,
inga, stockholm, how can you call Estonia independent if it has Swedish born USA citizen for President?
Elena, Bed's,
Annihilating civilians in a most barbaric way with the goal of saving the lives of soldiers who are meant to fight and die, that's what is an act of cowardice! All snobbish Anglosaxons should remember that out of 10 German soldiers 8 fell on the Eastern front and only 2 elsewhre. Russians had more than 10 000 000 miiltary casualties during the WWII. Brave enough? USA and UK lost together less than a million. The Allies' help in crashing the fascist serpent is appreciated, but be honest to yourselves, you were the helpers, the doers were Russians. Why do some of you have problems giving them credit for that?
Mark Schmalz, Mainz, Germany
Alex, ty - kozel!
I will not comment on all your highly offensive, utterly provoking and absolutely fallacious statements but just this one: "... you rather cowardly joined the war against them just as they were surrendering to steal some of their territory" because it really made my blood boil. Have you ever wondered, why Japan did not declare war on the USSR but preferred to take on the Americans? If not, go to Wikipedia and read about the Battle of Khalkhyn Gol. And here's the reason why the USSR joined the war against Japan and "stole" territories as desribed in Wikipedia: "At the Yalta Conference, it had agreed to Allied pleas to terminate the neutrality pact with Japan and enter World War II's Pacific Theater within three months after the end of the war in Europe. ... As agreed at Yalta, the Soviet Union had intervened in the war with Japan within three months of the German surrender, and they were therefore entitled to the territories of Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands ..."
Mark Schmalz, Mainz, Germany
Well... I work at the state broadcast company in Moscow... and if you'd listen our reportings, it would seem that it is NATO and EU who try to offend and harm Russia :)
The truth must be somewhere in the middle.
Maria, Moscow, Russia
> Overall democracy works as well as a capitalist market, we'll all see that soon.
<br/>> Taylor, Houston, USA, Texas
<br/>
<br/>Especially if it's backed up by communist China and Saudi Arabia monarchy, isn't ? ;-)
<br/>BTW, why those regimes (much less democratic) have never received so harsh critique and blame from the West ? Even though Russia has completely dropped its communist ideology and adopted a capitalist economy ?
Serjio, SP, Brazil
FYI, Russian people supported democratic reforms in 1987-1991, and were the main force in dismantling the Communist regime in the USSR. However, they felt betrayed by Eltzin's robbery capitalism (which pushed millions into the poverty) and by the unconditional support of it by the West (including shooting of the Russian parliament by Eltzin in 1993). But they become even more disillusioned after IMF dictat (read: the West) on how to govern its monetary politic and fettering agreements which ended by the default of 1998.
<br/>Do you know that Jackson-Vanik amendment of 1974, which denies the most favorable status in trade with US for countries with non-market economies and restriction of emigration (primarily targeted to help emigration of Russian Jews) , is still in force and applies to Russia ? The Ukraine - and even China !- has been already removed from it. Why this amendment still applies to Russia ?!
Serjio, SP, Brazil
To Mr. ALEx Sirrey.
How many you can offend people still. Russia is presented in the West as the countries which тварит all sins on the ground. And do such "PR" of only 2 countries and their lovers. I do not wish to conduct with you a rate of history, but I read every day dirty lies about mine country and it goes beyond all limits morals. I wish you to feel same.
andrey, langepas, Russian Federation
2 Alex
Your interpretation of world history is rather amusing.
It appears that your history teacher was a professional Russophobe, like Mr. Lucas. I would suggest you to start reading more serious stuff, Churchill's memoirs, for example. This will improve your history knowledge significantly.
As for the atomic bomb, it's still a big question who would have gotten if first, the US or Germany, if the Nazi state wasn't weaken by four years of fighting on the Eastern front.
Anton, Urjupinsk,
Russia needs to build close ties with all nationalist parties and Europe and facilitate the expulsion of all 3rd world minorities from every European Nation. Moreover, Russia should assist with efforts to search and destroy hostile degenerate elites in European countries that are seeking to import the 3rd world into the west.
Alan Segal, Paris, France
I am sorry, ladies and gentlemen that I cannot reply to those who responded to my messages: the moderator seems to dislike me (although I am really polite am I not? (smile) and quite offensive, in my view, messages from Alex Surrey who would find for himself acceptable to join Nazi to kill Russians (don't forget Alex that you would probably have to start from killing Jewish and Byelorussian women and children) seem to be passable.
Just a small point: the WWII in my humble opinion started in 1936 with the USSR fighting against Germany in Spain. The Western states preferred to be neutral or even slightly pro-German. And although the Pact is not something I can be proud of let's not forget the fault of other countries, France and GB first of all, who allowed Hitler to revive the military might, to take Austria, Sudetes and who refused to co-operate with the USSR.
PS Dear moderator. This is my last message to this article. Please let it through. Thank you in advance
Egor , Moscow,
how they together with NAZI Germany started the war in Europe with their joint invasion of Poland.
Alex, Surrey
----
Actually, the war started a little bit earlier - not from the invasion of Poland, but from the ultimatum and occupation of Czechoslovakia by Germany, Poland and Hungary.
Fact 1: England (PM Chamberlain) and France (Daladier) made an agreement [Munich] with Hitler on his annexation of a part [Sudety] of Czechoslovakia.
Fact 2: Poland allied with Hitler to invade Czechoslovakia in September 1938 and annexed Tesin (Teschen) region. By the way, Hungary also got a part of Czech territory - Ruthenia region.
So, it was not only Stalin/USSR who played games with Hitler in attempt to avert him from his country. History is not painted in black & white only - it's more complicated.
Serjio, SP, Russia
LOL@Egor
"Then, Jews will have to fear Estonians who wearing SS uniform massacred 95% of Jews leaving in Estonia before WWII? "
To paraphrase the fascist putin "pogrom is not a german (or estonian) word". Where do your figures come from? Soviet figures are about as reliableas Russian submarines a few years ago.
"What about Russians whose grandfathers fighting the deadly German Nazi invaders were killed in the back by Estonian Nazis?"
The Russians deserved to die, they illegally annexed Estonia, and under these circumstances Estonians had every moral justification to kill those invaders. If I were Estonian at that time, I would have joined with anyone who would have helped me to rid my country of the Russian occupiers.
Alex, Surrey,
Hello to everyone here. I live in Latvia and my experience of "insider" shows, that latvian officials are ready to serve anyone with money in it's pocket. In the nineties, when Russia was in a terrible state, latvians kissed boots of any western-european or american person, no matter if it was a politician or a rogue businessman. Now times changed. Russia is became much more confident and rich, so why not to lick russian boots again? The memory of how to do it is very fresh.....
Yuri, Riga, Latvia
Luba Niconova, Samara, history is not your strong point is it? Napoleon was no threat to the UK, at the time we were fighting a war in the Americas after the Americans launch an invasion of Canada, then the Russian Tsar came along, begging us to stop fighting (the war of 1812) and brokered a peace between UK/USA, so that we would join against napoleon.
The second world war, well you started (together with your allies the NAZIs) and when we had defeated Hitlers plans to invade Britain, he decided to go after your country. Later it would have made no difference if Russia was still an ally of the NAZIs or if the NAZIs had defeated you, the nuclear weapon had appeared and they would have had no choice to surrender, just like the Japanese, who we were also fighting for years before you, you rather cowardly joined the war against them just as they were surrendering to steal some of their territory - this is usual for that sovok nation.
Alex, Surrey,
“old democracyâ€â€¦they always know what be better for all. Especially in Irak… If you want to teach somebody look at yourself first of all.
Alexander, Kaluga, Russia
Egor form muscovy "Think that we gave up without a shot 1/3 of the territory and almost 50% of the population of the USSR "
You gave up nothing, you had no choice, the USSR was failing badly, mostly due to Russian incompetence, and facing famine, you had this choice: intervene in the illegally occupied republics and starve or get fed by the west.. Russian like to forget that, just like they like to forget how they together with NAZI Germany started the war in Europe with their joint invasion of Poland.
Alex, Surrey,
Just one link to refresh your memory:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler-Stalin_Pact
Stalinism and Nazism are in many ways, as we say here in Brazil, “flour from the same sackâ€.
M., Sao Paulo, Brazil
oh, russia GAVE UP 1/3 of it's territory? You mean the independent states it had occupied and who regained their independence? And where all the russian immigrants had to give up their privileged status and ...gasp...actually learn a few words of the local language (if they wanted to be citizens), after living in the country for 50 years? oh, the horror..
inga, stockholm,
The extent of Lucas' Russophobia never ceases to amaze me.
Vadim, Toronto, Canada
It would seem that Lucas is supporting Khodorkovsky not only a convicted felon and complaining about treatment of his work mate Vasily Aleksanyan but did Lucas complain on behalf of all the small depositors at Menatep Bank when it went bankrupt though it held as security Yukos stock owned by Khodorkovsky?
Who complained about the frauds, murders, etc all linked to Menatep and Yukos?
DM, Eastbourne,
I wish Mr Lucas dealt with cannibalism in Africa and limb-chopping in the Middle East before moving on to Russia.
Andrew, London,
"That doesn't bother most Russians." Brilliant! Not very true to life. Russians are bothered & seriously scared, at least too scared to express thier doubts freely. Whatever goes in Russia is a complete mystery to the russians themselves, only the few in higher echelons of power know exactly what they aim for. I guess that the common russians are betrayed yet once again by the country's elite. It's really up for "movers & shakers", to people with money & influence to fight for the just & democratic state. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown the russia's elit opts for luxirious lifestyles abroad, instead of taking care of thier own country.
Pam, St.Petersburg,
Clearly the late 1990's gave Russia a grand chance to prosper...In which it did. Today we have Mr.Putin, one who supposably is running the economoy of Russia at a good pace...the thing is because oil has reached an all time high...it's like that. Another thing notice the past ....yeah see more things like that coming for Russia once again, I suspect the kremlin will have a power grab.I also think it's a disgrace because it's not even true democracy when a government blocks media coverage etc...I'm quite confused.. The good thing is there are those in Russia and other countries/people who actualy (or should) stand up and push back towards a more free democratic Russia. Oh and another thing.Putin's kremlin needs to back off from Eastern Europe.notice the cold war is over and the USSR is broken and it will continue to stay broken. I highly doubt the world will sit back and let a country fall back in time.Overall democracy works as well as a capitalist market, we'll all see that soon.
Taylor, Houston, USA, Texas
2 janitis Can you explain how come that Latvia is mentioned among the countries "lost" by the West? I can't figure out what in the world made the author to think that Latvia deserves this honor.
Anton, Urjupinsk,
Despite the crazy and stupid US policy toward Serbia, a great tragedy in itself, it is clear that Russia never abandoned its imperial ambitions.
Regarding the so called Moldova, in fact Basarabia, Romanian territory stolen several times by the Russian from Romania, along Northern Bucovina, this is one of the best examples of the tactics employed by russians in fermenting ethnic and religious fighting in order to control the direction...
Only if you lived under the russian/soviet occupation you can really, really understand what is happening.
The tragedy is that the left in the West, is so blinded by hate for the capitalistic system it doesn't see the monster ready to swallow it.
Dan Bostan, CA, USA
As I recall, Napoleon's campaign led to his eventual downfall on the European mainland, but …there was no threat from France.
As for the Great Patriotic War, the USSR did not rescue Britain… When the USSR joined the war and made enormous sacrifices, Britain's Arctic convoys supplied her with weapons at great loss...
wilson, London, UK
I guess the main message is that we were allies and that is what we should be.
As regards the details, although Britain has a great strategic advantage of being separated from Europe and I pay all tribute to the bravery of your sailors and pilots, I very much doubt that if Russia had failed you could cope against Europe subdued by France or Germany for a long.
Supplies. Just prior to WWII the US sold to Nazi all its aviation aluminum and the formula of the synthetic petrol. Compared to this, the supplies by the USSR of grain, coal and other disposables in exchange to the equipment later used to produce the high caliber shells…
Egor , Moscow,
(No wonder the persecuted Estonians still fear Russia, Egor, or don't they teach you that in history lessons?),
wilson, London, UK
Then, Jews will have to fear Estonians who wearing SS uniform massacred 95% of Jews leaving in Estonia before WWII? And how about Byelorussians whose villages were burnt together with their inhabitants (have you heard of Lidice? In Byelorussia there were 100s of them)? What about Russians whose grandfathers fighting the deadly German Nazi invaders were killed in the back by Estonian Nazis? Or it is only Estonians who are allowed to fear?
Wilson, without offence, I know the history of the USSR much better than you and you can probably tell me the same about the history of the UK. So, although I cannot fully agree or disagree with your words, I do not want to argue and my message is that punishing people living now for the sins (real or not) of their ancestors IS a crime.
Egor , Moscow,
Janitis, miljas draudzinj! I was borne in Daugavpils. Tell your stories about discriminations of Latvians to somebody else.
Regarding the security and NATO. The Ukraine .... should I explain....
1. Our military industry and infrastructure...
2. Most of the Ukranians do not want. They are still being pulled in.
The only thing that some people were trying to say here is that we are fully entitled to consider NATO an aggressive block and fly our planes. Russia does not undermine anybodies military security. NATO does. And the fact that it supports countries like Latvia and Estonia, which are proud of their fascistic past, poses a lot of questions about NATO, and EUs, by the way, intentions.
Victor Levitsky, Stockholm, Sweden
To Victor Levitsky. There is no discrimination of Russian in Latvia and Estonia but vice-versa Russians discriminate local population (not to mention the genocide for 50 years during occupation). And what is meant by expansion to countries which are critical for Russian security. Does it implies that like in Soviet times these countries cannot decide themselves what they want and what important for their security , only the “super clever†Russians can decide for us???
janitis, Riga, LV
Serbians, those we look at as impuned war criminals are their heroes they do not wish to hand over. To them the war crimes tribunal lacks justice, because it allowes nationals of other countries, such as ours, to kill and maim, yet remain untouchable
Eric Spielman, Loughton, ESSEX, Great Britain
Eric, have you heard of the fall of Serbian Kraina (Srpska Krajina)? When between 12,000 and 20,000 Serbs were massacred by Bosnians as a matter of days? According to a UN official "Almost the only people remaining were the dead and the dying." No? Strange, is it not? Check the internet. And it is absolutely illogical that the Serbs of this area cannot become independent of Bosnia – although they suffered much higher losses than Albanians in Kosovo.
Egor , Moscow,
Don't panic, Mr. Lucas. Better listen to Condoleeza Rice: "The recent talk about a new cold war is hyperbolic nonsense. Our relations today are fundamentally different (with Russia) than they were when all we shared was the desire to avoid mutual annihilation," That's what she said, speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos. It looks like Mr. Lucas is fighting the war that nobody knows about.
Anton, Urjupinsk,
"Our biggest weakness is money." -- this phrase alone applied as above sums up the biggest weakness of this entire civilization. Do you really expect that those same MPs employing their relatives on taxpayers' money would now stand up to Kremlin? Or you expect that corporations like BP firing thousands of people at a sign of 25% loss in billions-size profits are going to turn down Russian oil fields (if offered)? Or you expect, that mortgage re-payers in the UK will be ready to sacrifice some extra 400 GBP a year to allow for 100% gas price increase to enable diversification? Or maybe you think that any European economy will agree to stop Chinese imports tomorrow simply because they the source uses nearly slave, underpaid or child labour? I wish you could answer yes to these questions, at least some of them... Russia is an ugly demon now, but we living in the West are not angels either and the trend is downwards
Oleg, Cambridge, UK
Has anyone considered that the Tupolev Bombers flying again are a slight of hand to distract our attention from the test flights of a new stealth capable bomber. I can not imagine the Russians are not developing them. On the other hand they might just have wanted to take a few photos of the setup of the UK Eurofighter.
Mark, Liverpool,
why are its Tupolev Bombers Probing our air defences again?
Sam, Leicester, UK
Sam, I will tell you the secret: that is because 140 millions of Russians with the economy less than that of France are planning to capture 400 millions of Europeans backed by 300 million population of the US (and with the US alone military budget equal to 20 Russian military budgets). Sounds plausible?
Well, another answer is that they are “probing†(and actually flying in the international space) for the same reasons as the NATO planes have been “probing†Russian boundaries during all 15 years that we did not: pilots need to be trained.
Relax. We have the same “problems†with your planes but sleep well.
Egor , Moscow,
So Britain was saved twice in her history by Russia or the USSR, claims Luba Niconova. Let us refute these two myths.
As I recall, Napoleon's campaign led to his eventual downfall on the European mainland, but as Britain commanded the seas, there was no threat from France.
As for the Great Patriotic War, the USSR did not rescue Britain. For almost two years it was Hitler's ally and ruthlessly divided up eastern Europe (No wonder the persecuted Estonians still fear Russia, Egor, or don't they teach you that in history lessons?), while supplying Hitler's war machine with raw materials, the same war machine that was conquering Europe. When the USSR joined the war and made enormous sacrifices, Britain's Arctic convoys supplied her with weapons at great loss to Britain in terms of ships sunk.
wilson, London, UK
To Sam from Leicester. Just a few reasons for our bombers to continue probing:
1. We are boarded by the largest military alliance in the World.
2. The budget of this alliance exceed approx. 3 times the military budget of the rest of the World.
2. This alliance is currently fighting several wars against countries which posed no military threat to it (take Afghanistan from the list if you believe the BS about Al-Kaeda)
3. It supports ethnic cleansing of Serbs. The real cleansing, not the proclaimed one, which never existed but the Serbs were accused of it.
4. It support political discrimination of Russians in Estonia and Latvia.
5. It builds military bases and strategic installations close to our boarders and says unbelievable BS to explain this activities.
6. It tries to expand to the countries which are critical for our strategic security - for very simple, materialistic reasons, not because we are emotional about that.
More???
Victor Levitsky, Stockholm, Sweden
hooey
Evgeny, Russia
Evgeny, Ryazan, Russia
Nowadays the predisposition to criticize Russia, even when it reverts its policies back to the Brezhnev era, are much more faint because Russia now is a capitalist country, which can buy CEOs, journalists and politicians.
Excluding Britain, Western Europe clearly prefers a good relationship with Russia than to interfere in areas that traditionally were part of the Russian Empire/Soviet Union like Moldova (old Bessarabia governorate/Moldavian SSR), Ukraine (old Little Russia and New Russia governorates/Ukrainian SSR) and Georgia (old Tiflis governorate/Georgian SSR).
Realpolitik still plays a large role in these relations, anyway. But the sad fact is that Europe becomes cynical in trying to promote democracy, human rights and free-market policies elsewhere while ignoring the aims of its close neighbors.
M., São Paulo, Brazil
Sam, Leicester, UK
Why NATO encircles Russia? That is why the Tupolevs started flying again.
Oleg, Toronto, Canada
It's a great pity that the Russian people are blind to the growth of corruption and mafia-type activities under the deactivated nose of their little despot, Putin. It will all end in tears for the innocent population of Russia.
As with all embryonic dictators they get support on small gains and at the expense of their soul. Who will or can get rid of the dictator when his megalomaniac plans start to hurt the backbone and people of Russia?
Maxadolf, Epsom, UK
The history of Russia during the last hundred years is simply a list of catastrophes and lost opportunities: Czarism, Leninism, Stalinism, Khrushchevism, Brezhnevism, Perestroika, Yeltsinism,,,The list is long and I'm afraid that sooner or later, we can add Putinism to it.
Esa Leskinen, Hämeenlinna, Finland
One of the experiences of my life was visiting Moscow and discovering people didn't have two heads and breathe fire as we had always been taught. Whatever happens we can't go back to those times.
John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England
If Russia under its present administration has only peacefull, economic development as its goal, as some poster have suggested why are its Tupolev Bombers Probing our air defences again?
Sam, Leicester, UK
Serbia has shown it's desire to join the E.U. The danger is that oue politicans will act unreasonable and drive them into the hands of Russia.
To us Tony Blair is a hero, to others a war criminal resposible for thousands of murders and much suffering. Similarily to the Serbians, those we look at as impuned war criminals are their heroes they do not wish to hand over. To them the war crimes tribunal lacks justice, because it allowes nationals of other countries, such as ours, to kill and maim, yet remain untouchable.
Eric Spielman, Loughton, ESSEX, Great Britain
it5's funny how that lithuanian 'Saulius' is saying how Russia is using democracy to rule other countries... America already does this!
Ross, Bristol, UK
Russia today is not unlike a South American dictatorship (c.1980) with nuclear bombs thrown in. Dangerous stuff. Like Germany in 1930s, it needs to be put in place or we might have to face the consequences. The fact that Putin is popular inside Russia does not reflect well on the judgement of Russian people. Hitler was quite popular in Germany, I recall.
Sergei Cristo, Surrey, UK
Because, whether we like it or not, in the not too distant future Russia will control our main energy supplies. That's why we must remain on good terms. Quite simple really, and after all we remain on good terms with far more despotic regimes than that in Russia.
Neil, Gloucestershire, England
This article looks like a relict of the Cold War with the author showing absolutely no understanding of what was Russia in 90s and now.
Dear Brits!
Russians have no intention to subdue or control any part of Europe. Really-really. All we want is to build up a prosperous country with happy people.
Think that we gave up without a shot 1/3 of the territory and almost 50% of the population of the USSR – including the glory of the Russian Navy Sevastopol and all Crimea populated mostly by Russians, including the world’s first space gates Baikonur, including MILLIONS of Russians who immediately became suppressed – mildly (as in Estonia where they are â€simply†deprived of their language and history – well, even a Russian signage on the shop, even bearing a military award deserved in the fights against Nazi is not allowed) or BRUTALLY (as in some Asian parts of the former USSR).
We may sometimes behave clumsy– but we are not even 10% as bad as we are portrayed in here. Really-really.:)
Egor , Moscow,
At last Western countries start to understand and speak, that Russia is using democracy and money to rule democratic countries. May be hiden decisions and steps are made in West, but if no - it can be too late some years later. It is very sad to watch how Russia eats European countries one by one. Including most powerfull ones.
Saulius, Alytus, Lithuania
Someone else see the pattern?
Whenever anglo-american politics fail point the finger at the europeans, at the french or the germans if posssible.
Dealing with russia was perfectly fine as long as anglo-americans where involved. It's only since Putin jails the corrupted oligarchs tied to Exxon, BP... and roots out their networks that the 'usual' media outlets identify this as a propblem.
Schroeder was not chancelor at the time, he had been dropped by the electorate more than 12 months before he was offered a position in the board of gazprom. Was it wise to accept? Of course! Blair and Bush started wars for the prospect of less influence on their energy supply...
Sven, Aarhus, Germany / Denmark
What a comprehensive list of Mr Putin's achievements. No wonder he is so popular in Russia. He is doing so well for his country. One question. Where will “diversified†European market get its gas from? Iran? Turkmenistan? Azerbaijan? All three are pure examples of democracy and reliability. Well done Mr Lucas. Carry on entertaining us.
AP, Farnham, UK
The West virtually destroyed the Soviet economy by upping the ante on the arms race to the point where the USSR became bankrupt in every sense.
Now Russia has become, temporarily at least, rich and is attempting to reverse the process. It's not completely unexpected.
However, every barrel of oil, every m3 of gas that Russia exports is gone forever... Is Russia going to invest the income against the future? Or fritter it away on military expansion and grandiose, but pointless projects?
We'll see.
Chris, St Leonards, UK
Twice in history England was on a threshold of accident and twice it has been rescueed by Russia which by the sacrifice has saved it from a gain all over again Napoleon, and then Hitler. If such as Lucas can impose to the fellow citizens similar sights I think the third gift of destiny from us it kingdom will not receive. For now in French, miracle not become for inhabitants of foggy Albion native, I shall wish this mister: " A le marshir(get out), mangy dog! "
Luba Niconova, Samara,
Hey, Russo government!
Buy at last this philosopher!
Vasiliy, Sanct-Peterburg, Russia
Bring on the wind farms!
John, York, UK
Please publish more Mr.Lucas, his awesome articles always bring me to the festive mood, for the whole day! "...It has brazenly hired Gerhard Schröder, the former German chancellor...."
Maxim, Copenhagen, Denmark
Too right. We should do all our business with the paragons of liberal democracy in China and the Middle East.
Eddie, London,
Just two comments about this article: the first is that the Germans have always been obsessed with the lands to the east of them and that Russo-German collaboration whether economic or military goes back a very long way indeed. It was even a German company that embalmed Lenin's body.
The second is the old adage, always worth remembering, that Russia is never as weak as she looks, nor as strong.
Trevor Nicholls, New Rochelle, New York, U.S.A.