Is the U.S. Seeking to Contain Russia - Research Paper Example

Is the U.S. seeking to contain Russia? Yes 1) The cold war was the perfect depiction of the policy of containment of Russia by the United States of America in order to stop it from accessing the hot water sea ports and rich natural resources of Afghanistan and this policy is still going on. 2) United States is trying to contain Russia by establishing military bases in the central Asian region. The main purpose is to find new supply routes for the American war in Afghanistan. 3) United states is trying to contain Russia in order to enforce the spread of western democratic system and limit the advancement of any kind of communism in the region. 4) US are seeking to contain Russia to stop any kind of hindrance in establishing the military might all over the world. 5) The establishment of ballistic missiles covering DPRK, Northeast China, and Russia’s Far East is a clear sign of US policy of containment of Russia. NO 1) The contemporary politics especially the era of Obama is rejecting the policy of containment for the better coexistence and peace in the world. 2) The general and regional goals of America especially in Afghanistan are synchronized between Russia and America. 3) For the economic benefits, both the countries have to start trade and military cooperation. 4) The cold war has sparked many economic and political threats to both the countries and policy of containment is no more an option keeping in view the coexistence. 5) The goals of America and Russia are same in the Middle East. Many political experts think that the Obama administration is looking forward to cease the policy of containment because Russia and America cannot afford more cold war scenarios and clashes keeping in view the grave situation of economy at both the sides. That is the reason why Joe Biden, the vice president and main Russian authorities gave a joint statement and said that both the countries are now looking to start a collaborative venture against the terrorist nuclear states in order to ensure the safety of their nations. President Obama also showed commitment to work for the U.S. Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Both countries are also working for usage of nuclear energy in the positive ways and prolific nuclear usage treaty has been signed and there are many other projects which have been started which were ceased by the former present of America due to the August 2008 Russia-Georgia conflict (Nuclear Energy Today, 82). Many Defense analysts are of the view that US is seeking to contain Russia and the ballistic missiles in South Korea which are covering the whole DPRK and can hitup to 800 kilometers is a clear sign for that. There has been no usage of these missiles in that region other than targeting Russia and China and the long term communist avenge is taking new turns (Globalresearch, 2013). Military experts are also getting hints from the pro-NATO policies of Russia that US has ceased the policy to contain Russia because it is no more the war of systems now as the liberal democracy has made its impact and Russians seem to accept this point and are looking forward for the peaceful co existence. The new threat which is said as political Islam has been regarded by them as the main threat for both US and Russia. (English Pravda, 2013) In a combined meeting and conference with Afghan President in August 2008, Russian President Medvedev said that Russia is looking to start new terms and relationships with Afghanistan because both the countries have been a victim of terrorism in the past and now is the time for peaceful way ahead . The state of confusion which was created by military analysts that Russia is trying to avenge the cold war and providing aid to Taliban has now been bashed because of the fact that Russia, despite of not supporting the military venture against the Taliban at the ground has supported America and NATO in all the military campaigns in the Asian region. In late march 2009, world was surprised when Russia organized a Shanghai cooperation conference on counter terrorism in Afghanistan in which America, NATO and ISAF commanders took part (Romaniuk, 198). Russia not only praised the efforts of America, NATO and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan but also pledged to provide further assistance at the ground in the form of supply routes if America is in need for that. (RIA Novosti, 2013). The main reason behind this initiative was the fact that Russia feels threat from the Taliban regime that they will export their system in to the surroundings and also the oil reserves of central Asia are in danger (Nygren, 33). In the July 2009 combined summit of America and Russia, both the parties called for joint counter terrorism initiatives in Afghanistan and managed pass a resolution calling for resumption of U.S.-Russia Counter-Terrorism Working Group which was established back in 2000. Russia and America also passed a resolution to fight the drug trafficking at the afghan border and Russia pledge to help America in training the Afghan national army to deplete the poppy grain production in Afghanistan. These are the clear signs that America is not trying to contain Russia rather taking its efforts in fighting the joint cause which is terrorism (Nichol, 2012). The present political and military situation is clearly depicting that the policy of containment has been ceased and the political corridors of America and Russia are totally aware of the fact that in the global trade oriented environment, they have to maintain the relationship of trust. For example Russia is even ready to provide military bases in Central Asia for the American army (Carroll, 26) and U.S. Manas airbase in Kyrgyzstan which was established in 2001 after the September 11 attacks is the clear depiction of the military alliance of Russia and America (Hagee, 23). When Pakistani political regime questioned the supply routes of America to Afghanistan, Russians were at the back of the American and ISAF leadership. 2008 NATO summit, Russia’s then-President Putin offered to provide the routes for non lethal products for NATO. Russian regime also offered for the landing bases for Germany in order to infiltrate Afghanistan and this has been regarded as historical proceedings because there was a time when both the countries never gave the capacity to build even the trade space let alone the military might.( Nichol, 2012) The other political factors which were responsible for the policy of containment but now those factors have been depleted from the political canvas for example when the policy of containment started to occur, there was a great tussle going on between communism and capitalism but after so many years of conflict, the capitalist free market economy has proved its embarking effect on the world and even the Russians are inculcating democratic norms of procedures in their political dynamics (globalaffairs, 2013). Policy of containment was a need of a time in the past, which has passed and now the United States is seeking to co-exist with Russia. The military planning and deterrence missile systems cannot be called as policy of containment rather they are the part of natural process of policy making in any country. The military alliances,, trade pacts and joint ventures are the clear sign that there has been no policy of containment otherwise the policy of containment advocates total cease of relationships between the countries. There were around 2,514 million dollars imports to America from Russia and the exports are also augmenting. The policy of containment is not adapted by America anymore and nether the future is depicting towards it because the future challenges for both America and Russia are same (Branch, Foreign, 2013). Works cited Branch, Foreign."Foreign Trade - U.S. Trade with Russia." 2013. Web. 7 Mar 2013. . Top of Form Carroll, Stephen J. Asbestos Litigation. Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2005. Internet resource. Bottom of Form Eng.globalaffairs.ru. "Mikhail Troitsky "Containment Must Be Overcome.Long Cycles of Russian-U.S. Relations" / Russia in Global Affairs." 2010. Web. 7 Mar 2013. . English pravda.ru."US and Russia: From containment to coercion." 2013. Web. 7 Mar 2013. . Globalresearch.ca. "South Korean Missiles: Part Of U.S. Containment Of Russia And China | Global Research." 2012. Web. 7 Mar 2013. . Top of Form Hagee, John. Financial Armageddon. Lake Mary, Fla: FrontLine, 2008. Print. Bottom of Form Nichol, Jim .Russian Political, Economic, and Security Issues and U.S. Interests. Specialist in Russian and Eurasian Affairs , 2012. Print. Top of Form Nuclear Energy Today. Paris: OECD, 2003. Print. Top of Form Nygren, Bertil. The Rebuilding of Greater Russia: Putin's Foreign Policy Towards the Cis Countries. London: Routledge, 2008. Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form RIA Novosti. "Putin Reiterates Support for NATO Afghan Operation." 2013. Web. 7 Mar 2013. . Top of Form Romaniuk, Peter. Multilateral Counter-Terrorism: The Global Politics of Cooperation and Contestation. London: Routledge, 2010. Print. Bottom of Form Read More