– We are always surprised with information that Russia wants to be even bigger, since it has always been regarded as a big country – said Witold Waszczykowski, a Deputy Head of National Security Office. – Since the times of Putin, Russian policy has become more aggressive, which can be also seen in the internal situation – when Putin said about building a law dictatorship. We are surprised that Russians want even a stronger position. They are in the Security Council, G-20, they are in a privileged position in relations with NATO or the UE – he emphasized.
Participants in the debates, devoted to Russian topics, and relations of Moscow with the EU, reflected whether Russia should again try to ascertain the role of the most important state, because so far such aspirations have always led to troubles. Relations on the line Russia-NATO or Russia-EU are not exemplary, but everyone expects that the visit of the US President Barrack Obama in Moscow will change a lot.
– Russia must understand that it does not need confrontation, it should overcome the nationalist perception of NATO as a block expanding against it. Russia must also resign from thinking through the prism of the spheres of influence, which existed formerly. But NATO must also understand that the attitude of Russia is psychology. Russia perceives the West through the prism of taking advantage of its weakness in the Yeltsin’s period – said Klaus Wittmann, a Brigadier General in Bundeswehra.
– The question is, what Russia will be like in the crisis time. Other states intensify protectionism, and Russia tries to diversify international actions and to make a better use of the ruble. It seems also that it tries to take a more offensive approach and regain its former strong position of the superpower from the times of USSR. In order to achieve it, Russia takes advantage of political and energy instruments (such as the recent gas crisis), but also physical aggression, as in the case of Georgia – said Borys Tarasiuk, the Chairman of the Ukrainian Committee on European Integration.
– That is why, our approach to building a new cooperation order, proposed by Russia, is very cautious. We are worried that some of its concepts meet with a positive response from the West – said Waszczykowski.
