We Have Our Interests and the US Has Its Own

Many experts and observers were genuinely dumbfounded by the “reset” — or lack thereof — in relations between Russia and the United States. Clearly, for Barack Obama it was a good idea for the election, and he successfully went along with it for almost his entire first term.

The Russian side, on the other hand, has openly wondered about the nature of this “reset.” We have our interests and the U.S. has its own, and each side aggressively defends them. Therefore, I think that in the absence of a “thaw” in relations, it does not make sense to talk about its end. We are in for quite a few years of serious challenges in the relationship between Washington and Moscow — but thank God there is a relationship! The points of disagreement include our positions on Libya, Syria, the Middle East and so on.

Note that “human rights,” which armed Americans protect around the world, is a vague idea. Any legitimate government can be accused of offending human rights. The Magnitsky Act is an open list, and anyone can be added to it. Russia remains within the legal framework by making retaliatory acts, but I think failure to plan several moves ahead in the situation can lead to embarrassment.