During the Munich Security Conference concluded this weekend, it emerged that Russia plays a major role in Western Diplomacy beginning with its status as a nuclear power, their military intervention in war-torn Syria and its veto power on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It translates to the reality that any diplomacy in the Western world must involve Russia.
Russia contributes to fighting the war against terror in Syria and enforcing sanctions in countries such as North Korea, a move that is important for the US and Europe in averting imminent nuclear attacks from North Korea’s nuclear arsenal.
Recent developments may imply that Europe and the US normally divided over Trump’s foreign policy with the European Union (EU) is now united with the US on matters democracy. They accuse Russia of secretly meddling with their elections secretly.
Russia’s Importance
The US and Europe may have shown their distaste with the Russian covert exercise to undermine their democracies but as stated by Frank Bakke Jensen the Norwegian Defence Minister, they cannot find international political solutions without involving Russia. He made these utterances with respect to Russia’s position on the UNSC. Russia is one of the permanent member countries with veto power to reverse a UNSC decision. UNSC decisions are vital to peace on the globe as the council is responsible for military and non-military missions all over the world.
Russia is in the limelight with accusations of interfering with the 2016 US presidential elections and elections in Europe as well as widely with the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014. Trump bore unpleasant rhetoric about the EU during his campaign. He also did not certify Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal and pulled out of the Paris climate change agreement. These are some of the actions that angered Europe. However, during the Munich Security Conference, the US and Europe seemed to be under the same notion that Russia is the “bad guy.”
The Munich Security Conference
The event is an annual forum where top security officials from the US, Europe, and diplomatic officials from Russia attend to discuss important international security policy. American policymakers were visibly annoyed with Russia’s public denials on accusations of democracy meddling. Dan Coats, the Director National Intelligence in the US expressed his amazement with the attendance of Russian officials to the event.
Nevertheless, the interconnectivity of Western events with Russia concludes its importance in Western politics. An example of this relationship includes the US’s efforts to stop North Korea’s nuclear program by introducing an oil embargo on Pyongyang. The decision greatly lies on Russia’s cooperation.
