What to do about Russia?
Perhaps the most important challenge for EU foreign policy is to develop a more unified approach to Russia. The EU member-states have very similar interests in Russia. We all want Russia to develop a strong and successful economy that welcomes foreign investment. We want Russia to be a reliable supplier of energy. We want the slide towards authoritarianism to be reversed. We want Russia to be an ally in the fight against terrorism and in opposing the proliferation of dangerous weapons. And we want Russia to respect the sovereignty and independence of the countries that are in our common neighbourhood. At President Vladimir Putin's dinner with EU leaders in Finland yesterday, the latter will have made an effort to appear united in their view of Russia. Yet the reality is that there is no effective common policy. Britain, France, Germany and Italy have run separate policies, each at various times seeking a special relationship with President Vladimir Putin. These bilateral relationships have been competitive - and Putin has played the member-states off against each other skilfully.
In recent years two of Putin's best friends, Gerhard Schröder and Silvio Berlusconi, have left office. Yet the EU still divides into three distinct groups over dealings with Russia: the "pro-Russian" camp led by France, Germany, Italy and others; the "anti-Russian camp" led by Poland and the Baltic states; and others in the middle, such as Britain.
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