Caroline Savage: Why Russia Still Matters

Busting the widely held myths about Russia as backwards nation, Caroline Savage reminded the crowd of St. Norbert students and community members that Russia still plays a significant role in world affairs. Addressing the question that has been unanswered since the end of the Cold War, "Is Russia a partner or spoiler for the United States on the world stage," Savage explained the current state of the Russian affairs and its impact in a global context.

Savage, political officer of Russian Affairs in the U.S. Department of State and former member of the U.S. embassy staff in Belarus and Luxembourg, was third on the list of speakers presenting on the variety of international issues during the Great Decision Speaker Series lectures sponsored by the Center for International Education and Peace and Justice Center.

Russia still exercises the biggest influence in its neighborhood, even after many other former Soviet Republics rushed toward independence and democracy after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Some of those influences were counteracted by the pro-European revolutions, such as the Orange Revolution in Kiev in 2004, the Rose Revolution in Georgia in 2003 and the Tulip Revolution in Kyrgyzstan in 2005, but while they were seen in the West as bringing democracy and transparency, Russia "perceived the American hand behind these revolutions," claimed Savage.

However, Ukraine, believed to be the oldest ally of Russia, is undergoing another political change since the collective disappointment in the aftermath of the Orange Revolution, recently electing the new pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych, who now vows inclusion in the European Union is his top priority.

Savage believes it still "remains to be seen if Yanukovych does anything."

Central Asian countries and former members of the Soviet Union as well, such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, today are "very lucrative and valuable territories" and allies of the U.S., according to Savage, but caution to notify Russia before instigating various American initiatives in the region is still exercised.

A significantly worse state of affairs remains in Belarus, dubbed by the former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice as "the last dictatorship in Europe," where Savage served as a member of the U.S. mission in the capital Minsk, staying even after majority of American diplomats and staff members were forced to leave the country.

Belarus' president Alexander Lukashenko, a close Russian ally, is widely criticized for the suppression of the opposition and restriction of media freedoms, while running the country where 80 percent of the economy is in state's hand, said Savage.

Most successful in dealing with the past where the Baltic countries Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, who were once part of the Soviet bloc, but became members of the club of European developed nations - the European Union - owing their success mostly to ardently throwing out the vestiges of the Soviet Union and "outraging Moscow by their activities," argued Savage.

The end of the Cold War was celebrated as the victory of democracy and free markets while Russia and its people were left depressed and in crisis. However, Russia should not be looked down upon because the U.S. needs "a strong Russia on our side" in order to "foster stability and global cooperation."

After Russia invaded Georgia in support of the two breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the talks between the U.S. and Russia were stopped. A new "restart policy" is now being implemented in order to "deal with the differences honestly and maturely" and improve relations, said Savage.