Interview: Europe has problems accepting ‘New Russia’

Growing tensions in EU-Russia dialogue are inevitable as Russia’s developing economic, military and energy resource strength lends it a much stronger bargaining position in international relations than in the past, according to Piotr Dutkiewicz, director of the Institute of European and Russian Studies at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. He spoke to EURACTIV Slovakia in an interview.

“Politically Europe has problems accepting the new Russia as more assertive or more aggressive,” says Dutkiewicz, while a preference for ad-hoc arrangements rather than long-term agreements shows “Russia is probably at a crossroads” regarding its future global role. 

But the direction of Russia’s gas pipelines proves it is a “loyal partner to Europe”, he insists, particularly as “100% of the gas Russia sells goes to Europe and they are not going to build additional pipelines towards Asia at the moment”. 

Initial negotiations over a new partnership pact between the EU and Russia have continually stalled, most recently following a Lithuanian veto over concerns about energy supply security and Russia’s involvement in regional conflicts in Georgia and Moldova (EURACTIV 30/04/08). 

Professor Dutkiewicz concedes that although the EU as a whole “does not see Russia as an enemy,” politically “it is very hard for the [new EU member states] to think in the same way as ‘Old Europe'” for historical reasons. 

What’s more, “stable access to Russia’s natural resources” aside, the EU does not know what it wants from the country, Dutkiewicz claims. Relations are soured by “ghosts of the Cold War” flying over European capitals and the Kremlin, while Russian confusion over whom to address in relations with the bloc is not helping negotiations, he adds. 

“Because of changing European presidencies [and] the fact that any member state can veto major political initiatives,” a Russia used to bilateral rather than multilateral relations is “puzzled” by a negotiating process which can be blocked by an individual EU country. 

Nevertheless, in economic terms “European companies are very happy with the dynamics of trade between Europe and Russia,” Dutkiewicz says, not least because the country’s growing purchasing power means that it can buy more European products. 

Moreover, if Russia “changed its internal regulations a bit and cut corruption” then European firms could access its services and capital markets as well as those for commodities and products, he adds. 

Dutkiewicz sees “very significant differences” between Russia’s dealings with the EU compared to its relations with the US. “Europeans are seen as natural partners, trade partners for instance, which is not the case in North America,” while Russia’s trade with North America is “meaningless in comparison to any other”.

To read the interview in full, please click here.  

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