EUROPEAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FROM THE RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE
EUROPEAN SECURITY ARCHITECTURE FROM THE RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Summary/Abstract: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev launched the concept of “European security architecture” in June 2008, in Berlin. Since then, Russia has been intensively lobbying in favour of this initiative. The Russian President has developed and promoted the idea further in speeches in Evian, in October 2008 and in Helsinki, in April 2009.The goal of Medvedev’s plan remains the postulate of equal security for all, which, if implemented, would mean that no actions that might be perceived as threatening the security of others would be allowed. As a consequence, decisions such as the enlargement of NATO would have to be negotiated by the European states with Russia.The actual short-term objectives behind Russia’s proposal are to stop NATO enlargement and to open a debate on European security. The long-term objectives are to loosen trans-Atlantic ties, incapacitate NATO and grant Moscow a de facto right to veto decisions concerning European security.Initial reactions from the European states show that Russia may succeed in achieving these short-term objectives. While a complete revision of the existing European security system is unlikely to happen, Moscow may also succeed in undermining the USA’s influence in Europe and deepen the existing divisions among the European states in the domain of security (in other words, the divisions between those countries which co-operate more closely with the USA and those which have been seeking agreement with Russia).

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