#8
Novaya Gazeta
December 23, 2002
VERSHBOW'S LIST
The US believes Russia could become a NATO member
Author: Andrei Piontkovsky
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]

ANY REASONABLE DIPLOMACY SHOULD BE WILLING TO STRENGTHEN US PARTICIPATION IN RESOLVING RUSSIA'S SECURITY ISSUES. ONLY ONE THING CAN PRINCIPALLY CHANGE RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE US - MAKING MUTUAL COMMITMENTS TO DEFEND PEOPLE'S SECURITY, TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, AND MUTUAL BORDER INVIOLABILITY.

When two years ago, President Putin answered "Why not?" to the question on the possibility of Russia's joining NATO, no one accepted it as a political declaration of intentions.

September 11, 2001 and further events changed many geopolitical stereotypes and the thought of a political alliance between Russia and some NATO countries no longer seemed to be absurd. Moreover, during the military operation in Afghanistan, a military alliance between the US, Russia, and Britain was realized de facto.

The participation in the coalition was extremely positive for Russia which did not lose a single soldier in the operation. The military, political and economic resources of the only world's super- power was used for solving one of the most important Russia's issues - liquidation of an aggressive Islamic radicalism source at southern boundaries of the CIS. Moreover, Russia's objectives were realized in the course of the operation better than the US objectives: bin Laden was not captured, Al Qaeda was not destroyed; the US has been in charge of settling a peaceful life in Afghanistan.

Any reasonable diplomacy should be willing to strengthen this entirely new for Russia trend - US participation in resolving Russia's security issues.

In these terms, the statement of Vladimir Putin on September 24, 2001 was very significant, "We are ready to look for deeper military cooperation forms with the US if the character of relations between our countries changes principally."

Only one thing can principally change the relations between Russia and the US - taking mutual obligations to defend people's security, territorial integrity, and mutual boundary inviolability. Settling of such ally relations should become the major objective of the Russian diplomacy. In particular, Russia's and US mutual long-term strategic interests in North-Eastern Asia are obvious - strong and economically solvent Russia should retain its present boundaries in this region. An opposite solution will men disappearance of Russia as an independent state and will sharply increase the positions of US major opponent in this region, the People's Republic of China.

Phantom confrontation with the West and the course on "strategic partnership" and actual military coalition with China will not only marginalize Russia but also will subordinate it to China's strategic interests and in the future - to losing control of the Far East and Siberia first de facto, then de jure.

In December, several international conferences devoted to "Closing of Russia and the West: reasons, interests, and prospects" were held in Moscow. US Ambassador to Russia Alexander Vershbow made an interesting speech at one of them. In particular, he said that in order to make the closing between Russia and the West more dynamic and irreversible, it is necessary to pose brave and creative objectives. For instance, creation of a united regional anti-missile defense system in order to protect Europe and Russia and a possible participation of Russia in the new NATO's rapid response force project.

Commenting on Vershbow's words, I agreed with his idea to set non-standard objectives and proposed in turn to extend Vershbow's list. I asked him, "In terms of development of ally relations between Russia and the West, do you think it is possible in the near future to extend the security guarantees stipulated by clause five of NATO Charter to the borders of the Russian Federation, including its borders in the Far East?"

The answer of the US ambassador was very interesting, "In short, yes. Apparently, assuming obligations to mutual defend our borders, including the Russia-China border, should be a part of the process of settling ally relations between our countries. The US has always believed that Russia can aim to participate in NATO which will mean collective security guarantees for its national borders. Some of our European friends doubt it, but the US considers this development of events realistic, though it will take some time."

(Translated by Arina Yevtikhova)

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