You do well in dissecting an author’s intent. In the following the US wants a democratic Russia because then Russia would go along with what is beneficial to the US and not Russia. What does democracy have to do with aligning a county to the whims and wishes of the US unless of course the US means to install a puppet government through a bogus democratic process???
Much audacity in the following.
Again with the CFR.
Putin's moves are of a defensive nature geared to hinder a US takeover through a pseudo democracy.
IMO
-Am
UNITED STATES MUST ENCOURAGE RUSSIA TO DEMOCRATIZE – REPORT 3/15/06
A new report prepared by the Council on Foreign Relations says geopolitical competition in the Caucasus and Central Asia is eroding the ability of the United States and Russia to cooperate. To prevent a thorough breakdown in relations, the United States must encourage Russia to modernize its political institutions, the report adds.
The report -- Russia’s Wrong Direction: What the United States Can and Should Do – expressed concern over the authoritarian policies of Russian President Vladimir Putin, adding that the "rollback of pluralism and centralization may not have run their course." It linked Russia’s reversion to authoritarianism with the downturn in the country’s bilateral relationship with the United States. "Cooperation is becoming the exception, not the norm," the report stated. "US-Russian relations are headed in the wrong direction."
The report notes that US and Russian interests are far apart on energy-related issues in the Caspian Basin. It additionally states that US and Russian views on counterterrorism are diverging, pointing out that Russia has worked to reduce, if not eliminate the American military presence in Central Asia. The United States and Russia also are at odds over Georgia. Washington has provided strong diplomatic support for President Mikheil Saakashvili’s administration, which has clashed with Moscow on a variety of issues. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive].
"Russia’s policies toward the states on its periphery have become a recurrent source of friction between Moscow and Washington, and are increasingly intertwined with other issues, including energy, counterterrorism and support for democratic reform" the CRF report says.
The United States must recalibrate its policy toward Russia to reverse the existing diplomatic trend and avoid a potential collapse in relations. If the existing order "gives way to a new line of division between democrats and authoritarians, if their energy strategies diverge, if they respond in different ways to terrorism, America’s chances of success in meeting global challenges will be reduced," the report argues.
The key to reestablishing a solid working relationship is the modernization of Russia’s political institutions, the report suggests. Russia’s present stability is tenuous. "Despite rapid economic growth and social transformation, Russia’s political institutions are not becoming either more modern or more effective, but corrupt and brittle," the report said. "As a result, Russia’s capacity to address security concerns ... is reduced. And many kinds of cooperation – from securing nuclear materials to intelligence sharing – is undermined."
The CFR report called on Washington to expand nuclear cooperation with Russia with the aim of better securing nuclear components and materials, as well as preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons-making capabilities. Specifically, Washington should approach Moscow about negotiating a treaty governing "civil nuclear energy projects, including international spent-fuel storage." In addition, the United States ought to work with the European Union to develop guidelines that seek to compel Kremlin-controlled energy companies to "act like true commercial entities." The report also urged the US Congress and the Bush administration to increase funding under the Freedom Support Act to promote transparent presidential and parliamentary elections in 2007-2008.
In perhaps the most controversial recommendation, the report argued that the United States should accelerate efforts to integrate former Soviet states, such as Georgia and Ukraine, into Western political, economic and security structures. "Post-Soviet states that share America’s approach to major international problems and can contribute to resolving them should be able to count on greater support," the report said.
Concerning engagement with Russia on democratization issues, the CFR report stressed the need for a soft-sell approach. "Urging Russia to take a more democratic direction must be done with great care," the report said. "America will not succeed if it is seen to be hypercritical, hypocritical or excessively meddlesome. It will be easy to alienate a Russian public [that is] already prone to xenophobia."
"The United States and its allies should not belittle Russia by subjecting it to double standards, but show respect by holding it to high ones," the report adds.
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