Russia, America, and the Best Three Years By Dmitry Kosyrev

source :http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2012/03/27/russia-america-and-the-best-three-years/#.T3HjrLTRnPU.twitter

The Search For Common Values

Tensions came to a head in August 2008, when Georgia attacked what was formally its own territory at that time – South Ossetia. Its troops started killing Ossetian civilians, and Russian peacekeepers deployed there. A decision to make a military response to Georgia's punitive operation was made by the new president, Medvedev, while Putin merely informed his old friend George W. Bush about this. Bush nodded gloomily – there was nothing he could say.

It does not matter that Tbilisi launched this attack against U.S. advice, as it turned out later. This moment signified the final collapse of the already shaken status of America as the "sole superpower," and this was before the economic crisis, which was still over a month away.

Thus, President Obama had to act as a crisis manager, whereas Medvedev was positioned as the leader of a country that had consolidated itself beyond any wildest imagination. This allowed them to speak as equals. But it was not enough just to start talking – this would have happened in any event. There was more to the "the best three years." Medvedev and Obama sincerely sought friendship between their countries. They searched for issues on which they could cooperate with an open heart rather than against their will.

But this is where the real problem lies. In both countries, foreign policy relies on the support of society, which means it cannot change dramatically. So, where did that leave us?

Yes to cooperation on Afghanistan. But will we cooperate after America withdraws its troops from that country? This remains to be seen. On Iran we are cooperating to the greatest extent possible. As long as Obama is for negotiations, as he reaffirmed in Seoul, everything is fine, but there will be problems if he changes his mind. As for Libya, Moscow did not prevent the destruction of that country, which did not help the approval rating of Medvedev, who had to decide whether he should run for a second term (with a predictable outcome).

As for Syria, in general we understand each other and admit off the record that reconciliation and not regime change is what's needed. But on the record the United States says otherwise.

As for trade, we have neglected each other for too long, and it will take a long time to boost trade. For the time being, we are not bound by economic ties, and, therefore, we do not have to display caution.

But in general –- and especially compared to the first years of the decade – the state of bilateral relations seems fairly good. Now we just have to keep our foot on the gas.

RIA Novosti (www.en.rian.ru)