Review: Russia and Europe in the Twenty-First Century
| Date | 01 March 2009 |
| DOI | 10.1177/002070200906400132 |
| Published date | 01 March 2009 |
| Author | Jacek Wieclawski |
| Subject Matter | Review |
| International Journal | Winter 2008-09 | 307 |
| Reviews |
RUSSIA AND EUROPE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
An Uneasy Partnership
Jackie Gower and Graham Timmins, editors
London and New York: Anthem Press, 2007. 333 pp, £50 cloth (ISBN: 978-
1-84331-220-8)
Since the early 1990s, European-Russian relations have gone through several
phases, from hopes for a strategic partnership to European fears of Russian
energy blackmail. Both sides recognize that their relations have come to a
turning poin t, with a need to move away from empty rh etoric in order to
make real progress on concrete issues of mutual interest. But given that the
exact path forward remains unclear, a clear-eyed and comprehensive
understanding of relations between Europe and Russia is crucial today.
Russia and Europe in the Twenty-First Century
offers a broad overview
of the current state of the relationship. Though it focuses on the situation at
the end of Putin’s second term as president, the contributions remain
relevant, especially considering that recent events have confirmed the
authors’ arguments.The book’s starting point is the observation that neither
the Russians nor the Eu ropeans are satis fied with the status q uo in their
relations. Putin’s “new realism” accepted the limits of Russian foreign policy,
but Moscow has nevertheless been unable to achieve its goal of “an equal
voice on ma jor security development s in and around Europe.” The
enlargement of NATO and the EU, and growing western interests in the
former Soviet republi cs, have challenged Russ ia’s ge opolitical objec tives
(290). From the European point of view, the erosion of Russian democracy
and the emergence of a “values gap” between Brussels and Moscow has been
especially disappointing (53). Yet the EU’s “two-level game”—in which
members pursue independent policies towards Russia while calling for
common action—has posed problems of its own (119, 169). Disagreements
within NATO have only exacerbated the situation. The result is that the
political cohesion necessary for concerted action is still a long way off.
The Russo-Euro pean strategic par tnership has genera lly brought few
results. Structural obstacles and conflicting principles have further strained
the relationship. In fact, the EU has no idea how to fit Russia into the “new
Europe” (120). Russian hostility to European rhetoric on values and norms
is rising, and Moscow increasingly doubts whether normative convergence
with the EU is necessary (53). The four “common spaces” that were
established in May 2003 and the subsequent “road maps” were meant to
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