The Business Insider: Russia and the West live in different worlds

Extending US and EU sanctions against Russia is a commitment to a policy that has already proven unsuccessful and has no chance of success in the future, says American expert Clifford G. Gaddy in an article published by The Business Insider. The article was first published on the Brookings Institution website.

“We and the Russians understand the meaning of sanctions completely differently. The current official position in the West is that sanctions are a way to punish Russia for violating the rules of the international order and therefore encourage it to behave better in the future. Russians believe that sanctions are designed to weaken Russia and its ability to defend itself,” the author writes.

Gaddy sees the reason in the contradictions between security concepts. The West believes that the basis of security is cooperation, dialogue and trust, and the only guarantee is that everyone follows the rules. Russia, on the contrary, sees the only guarantee of its security and sovereignty in the ability to defend itself.

“Russians believe that sanctions force them to make a choice: either accept a military-political situation that is dangerous to the survival of their country, or become the target of an escalating economic war,” the article says. For Russia, this is not a choice, but two options for defeat.

So, the West fell into the trap that he set himself, writes Gaddy. Russia will never abide by the rules of the West, while it believes that its system deprives Russia of guarantees of its security.

If the West believes that it will win by forcing Russia to accept the supremacy of the Western concept of security, then this victory is only possible if Russia completely collapses. In the West, some believe sanctions will hasten Russia's inevitable collapse. “This is a very dangerous bet. If we push Russia to the brink of destruction, it will feel obliged to take preventive measures,” the author writes.

As long as Russia has opportunities for retaliatory strike (nuclear and other weapons, energy, cyber weapons), it will use them all before capitulation, Gaddy points out.

If the West does not want to take this path, then it remains to settle the differences between the concepts of security. Ultimately, this is the true topic for negotiations, the author advises.