Russia, US should learn from history and clear air of antagonism

The US and Russia are not on the best of terms these days. A meeting between the US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin on the margins of the G8 summit on June 17 did not go particularly well. The two leaders are miles apart on Syria, and remain divided over missile defense, human rights and a host of other issues.

The "reset" between Moscow and Washington that was launched during Obama's first term is certainly on hold, but it is not over. Putin does seem bent on standing up to Washington on a host of different fronts, but the US and Russia still share many common interests: advancing nuclear arms control, containing Iran's nuclear program, promoting stability in Afghanistan, to name a few. Putin and Obama need to be restrained and patient about their differences, allowing these common interests to put relations between their countries back on an even keel. Putin's more confrontational approach to Washington is partly a response to domestic vulnerability. Facing sustained opposition at home, the Kremlin has toughened its foreign policy to strengthen its nationalist credentials. But Putin is also pushing back against the West's policies. He was particularly angered by NATO's intervention in Libya, claiming that the Western alliance inappropriately turned a UN-backed mission to protect civilians into a mission to topple the Gaddafi regime. Moscow's ongoing support for the Syrian government, despite the indiscriminate violence to which it is subjecting its own citizens, is meant to resist the West's proclivity to use force in the service of regime change. Putin is also angered by Washington's critique of political repression in Russia and its calls for more pluralism. Viewing US criticism as inappropriate interference in Russia's internal affairs, Putin has of late stepped up pressure on domestic opponents and clamped down on civil society organizations that receive foreign funding. Despite Moscow's provocative policies, Washington has held its fire and kept the door open to a constructive dialogue. Russia and the US are working together to convene a diplomatic conference that holds out hope of leading to a political settlement in Syria. Recently in Berlin, Obama proposed that the US and Russia each cut their nuclear arsenals by one-third. The primary challenge in the months ahead is to replace the air of antagonism that currently hangs over relations between Moscow and Washington with a more cooperative atmosphere. Obama plans to travel to Moscow in September, providing a golden opportunity to put relations back on track. Syria remains a serious stumbling block. But at least Moscow and Washington are working together to advance the prospects for a diplomatic solution. Even Putin, despite his hard-edged rhetoric toward Washington, realizes that a solid foundation exists for stronger ties between Russia and the US. As he stated in a recent interview, "It's no coincidence that Russia and the US have united at critical periods in modern history - in World War I and World War II. We were opposing one another, but when the chips were down we came together." "There is something that unites us," Putin continued, "some fundamental interests that unite us." Moscow and Washington should act on these words.