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13 March 2007
GPPi Fellow comments on Russia, Germany and the US
GPPI Fellow Sergey Lagodinsky was featured on the political talk show "A Debating Club" of the Russian-speaking service of the Deutsche Welle, a German foreign radio program. Lagodinsky participated in a discussion that focused on the relationship between Russia and the West in light of what many perceive as Chancellor Merkel’s most recent attempts to convince Washington to engage Russia rather than marginalize it.
Asked whether he agrees that Merkel is becoming increasingly sympathetic with the Russian Government’s view on issues such as the anti-missile defense shield that the U.S. administration is planning to place in Poland and the Czech Republic, Lagodinsky said that he saw no signs of this development. Instead, he interpreted the recent interviews by the Chancellor as a continuation of Merkel’s pragmatic attempts to position Germany as a "medium-size power" (Mittelmacht).
On a general note Lagodinsky pointed out that the West is in the process of reassessing its relationship with Russia as it realizes that the current Russian government is not only unable, but also unwilling to endorse liberal democratic values. This will require a considerable reorientation of the Western policies towards Russia.
You can listen to the program here (in Russian).