The United States and the European Union have given Russia nearly a free ride on the Western economic system. Russian exports enjoy fairly open access to Western markets, while Moscow maintains higher tariffs and non-tariff barriers on imports. Generally, Russian enterprises invest freely in the West, while Western investors are increasingly excluded, and their property is far from safe.
Emboldened, the bear has shown its teeth in Georgia, and other adventures cannot be ruled out. European dependence on Russian gas and the absence of consensus within NATO make this a broad menace to regional security.
It is high time the United States and the European Union re-evaluate open commerce and dependence on Russian resources. Russian exports and investment should be welcome only to the extent that U.S. and European investments are welcome in Russia. Europeans need to find alternatives to Russian natural gas.
A new realism should guide U.S. and European policy.
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