Opinion | The Ukraine-Russia crisis is no longer the US’ problem in a world of rising regional powers
- While US-Russia talks may ease fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine, the two sides fundamentally disagree on how security should be managed in the region
- As the world moves away from a US-dominated power structure, perhaps Washington should step back and let Europe take care of itself
However, like previous talks and initiatives, a lasting agreement is unlikely to be reached in 2022 because the underlying issue – the lack of an agreed Eastern European security architecture – remains a point of significant discord.
Crudely, a security architecture is “a system of norms, practices, relationships, alliances and institutions constructed or developed by nations to address, enhance or ensure international and/or regional security”. In other words, it is an arrangement on how the security of a particular region should be managed.
The main Western players in this security dilemma – the US and EU – see Eastern Europe as a region for Western engagement. Indeed, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the European Union and Nato expanded eastward and created something of a material and ideological hegemony in the region (with Russia and Belarus defiant resisters).
Conversely, for Russia, Eastern Europe is a highly sensitive security setting which cannot be dominated by the West. It sees the area as not only geographically close to Moscow but is also culturally, linguistically and historically linked to the Russian civilisation.
