|
|
Article: Realism about Russia.
- Article from:
- The National Interest
- Article date:
- September 22, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 The National Interest, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
REACTING TO THE Bush Administration's promise of "realism" in dealing with Russia, a former Clinton Administration official observed that "the issue is what is reality."' Indeed it is.
Clinton Administration officials had their reality: Russia was on the path to liberal democracy; albeit stumbling occasionally; it was building the institutions for an effective market economy, although suffering periodic setbacks; its large arsenal of nuclear weapons entitled it to major power status, but at the same time the United States could help to reduce significantly the number of operational Russian warheads and to improve the security of Russian nuclear weapons and ...