US-Russia “reset” button 5 years on

On 6 March 2009 U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the Russian minister of Russian foreign affairs Sergey Lavrov, a “reset” button in Moscow. Relations had become cooler because of the US plans of a missile shield in Europe, US support of the entry of Georgia and Ukraine to NATO and the Russian invasion of Georgia. Clinton gave the button to symbolically restart their relationship. It turned out that the Russian word “peregruzka” her team had printed on the button, meant “overcharged” instead of “reset”. They both laughed of the error and pushed the button together. I’m not so sure they laugh about their relations now.

The US and Russia have a complex set of relations, in some they co-operate well, in others not at all. Here is a brief look at some of the developments since 2009.



Lavrov and Clinton push the “Reset button”.

Background
The US and Russia were partners adversaries during World War II, enemies during the Cold War and increasingly cooperative after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. NATO expanded into Eastern Europe and former Soviet republics. The forced separation, and later US supported independence of Kosovo from Serbia was opposed by Russia. As Georgia and Ukraine moved closer to become NATO members, Russia repeatedly warned they would take counteractions. Georgia’s military forces launched an offensive to reclaim the entire separatist South Ossetia region in August 2008. Russia responded quickly by invading occupying South Ossetia and also another region Abkhazia. The US government was surprised by Russia’s actions and protested, but didn’t respond with force. But tensions clearly increased as the Russian response was seen as aggression also by countries in the former Soviet Union and sphere of influence. They became increasingly afraid of future similar Russian invasions. The Russians on their hand feel threatened and safety and security.

North Korea
Conducted its second nuclear test on 25 May 2009 (the first in 2006) and both the US and Russia condemned it. So did China, North Korea’s main backer. The UN Security Council (UNSC) unanimously adopted a resolution condemning North Korea’s test, demanding it to abandon all nuclear arms, and asking all UN members to implement sanctions. All need safety and stability in the Korean peninsula, so they agree to keep tensions as low as possible and not escalate the conflict.

Iran
The US has for more than a decade been afraid Iran is developing nuclear arms. They have implemented sanctions on the country and got the UN and other countries to do the same. The Russians have been supporting Iran’s peaceful use of nuclear energy the construction of a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, which opened in 2011 under Russian supervision. But a nuclear armed Iran would strengthen Iran’s position and influence and tensions in the Middle East. A stronger Iran can compete with Russia in the Former Soviet Union, Afghanistan and the Middle East, so Russia does not want a nuclear armed Iran. Russia and the US supported UNSC resolutions imposing tougher sanctions in 2010 and 2012. Some see Russian support to Iran as a bargaining chip in other negotiations with the West.

Anti-terror and anti-piracy

Both Russia and the US have attacked by terrorist with a Muslim extremist agenda since 2001. Groups from North Caucasus have been behind hostage takings and bombs in Moscow, Beslan, and bombings on the Moscow Metro, Domodedovo airport, Moscow-St. Petersburg train and other attacks. The US and Russia co-operates with sharing information and Putin pledged to step up cooperation after the 2013 Boston bombing.

Afghanistan

Both the Us and Russia are worried about Taliban and other extremist Islamist groups in Central and South Asia. So when the US had problems supplying its forces in Afghanistan through Pakistan, Russia agreed to help. The Northern Distribution Network, a supply route running through Russia and Central Asia was established in 2009. This has been an important channel for the US.

Magnitsky bill and adoption-ban

Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian accountant claiming Russian interior Ministry officials had been stealing from the Russian state. He was arrested and died in prison in 2009. Russian investigators dropped an inquiry into his death, and proceeded with the criminal prosecution of him. Amnesty International called the process Kafkaesque.  The US Congress responded in April 2012 by making the “Magnitsky bill“, “To impose sanctions on persons responsible for the detention, abuse, or death of Sergei Magnitsky, and for other gross violations of human rights in the Russian Federation, and for other purposes…”
The Russian State Duma in turn approved the Dima Yakovlev law banning the adoption of Russian children to the US in December 2012, claiming that many Russian children had died in the US. The law also approved: "Measures against persons involved in abuse of fundamental human rights and freedoms of Russian citizens shall include: 1) a ban to enter Russia for those citizens of the United States of America a) who have been involved in abuse of fundamental human rights and freedoms; b) who have committed or been complicit in crimes against Russian citizens abroad; …». A US State Department official acknowledged that 20 out of 60.000 adopted Russian children had died in the US, and said "We do not disagree this is unacceptable." The whole process contributed to escalate tensions and conflict between the US-Russia.  Sergei Magnitsky on photo below.

Syria
The Syria civil war is an even more serious problem in the relations, as Russia support Syrian President al-Assad, and the US oppose the regime because of its actions against the Syrian people.

Snowden Then Edward Snowden, former CIA employee and NSA contractor in June 2013 started to reveal how US agencies secretly have collected information, also from their allies. Snowden (photo below) fled to Moscow and on 1 August Russia granted him a one-year asylum.

Ukraine
Finally in February 2014 the Ukrainian uprising against President Yanukovich and the subsequent Russian military takeover of Crimea has escalated the tensions to a level not seen since the Cold War. President Obama has imposed sanctions “on individuals and entities responsible for violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, or for stealing the assets of the Ukrainian people. The State Department has also put in place restrictions on the travel of certain individuals and officials. These decisions continue our efforts to pose a cost on Russia and those responsible for the situation in Crimea".

Sources and more information
http://photos.state.gov/libraries/russia/231771/PDFs/ResetSlides-HSE.pdf
http://rt.com/usa/clinton-and-lavrov-hit-the-peregruzka-button/
http://genevalunch.com/2009/03/06/reset-or-overload-a-russian-american-joke/
http://acdis.illinois.edu/assets/docs/434/FromCooperationtoConfrontationRussiaandtheUnitedStatessince911.pdf
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7930047.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7926096.stm
http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2013_09_06/Russia-US-need-new-reset-Kremlin-0315/
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/3183.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/rs/usrussiabilat/c38418.htm
http://www.state.gov/p/eur/ci/rs/200years/index.htm
http://www.cftni.org/Russia-and-US-NI_final-web.pdf
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/video/obama-new-sanctions-will-impose-a-cost-on-russia/3303319048001

I am open to your comments and proposals.

Regards

Bjarte Bjørsvik