What we have to recognize is that Russia is a (sorta) great power trying to do what great powers do. This will involve plenty of jostling, shoving, pushing, and all the rest of it. It won’t always be pretty, particularly given the KGB-stained nature of Russia’s current leadership. On occasion, the U.S. will have to shove back, and shove back very firmly. That said, to try using what’s going on in Georgia (as some seem inclined to do) as the inspiration of some sort of revived Cold War is not the way to go.

It’s critical to remember that what rivalry there is between the U.S. and Russia is not ideological to any meaningful degree. Moscow is neither Riyadh nor Tehran. Yes, yes, at some level, Russia is, and will remain, a strategic competitor. That’s fine. In a multi-polar world, that’s life. At, another, deeper, and more important level, however, many of Russia’s strategic interests are aligned with those of the U.S. The trick will be in getting the Kremlin to act on that ultimately reassuring fact.

]]>