Resetting the US–Russian Relationship: Is ‘Cooperative Engagement’ Possible?

The determination of the USA to ‘reset its relationship’ with Russia has been a major security policy objective for the current US Administration. An admirable objective, it has proved more illusive than anticipated. But a focus on ‘cooperative engagement’1 that selectively addresses areas of common interests such as Iranian nuclear developments, a range of issues dealing with nuclear arms control, missile defense, and NATO-Russian relations (among others) could prove fruitful for both lessening tensions and establishing common agendas to resolve contentious issues. Important to that process will be enhancing institutions in order to assure longer-term productive relations that engage and vest both the USA and Russia. This more realistic approach of ‘cooperative engagement’ within existing, but strengthened organizations would both ‘reset’ the relationship and encourage relations that reach beyond cold war military thinking to sustained future cooperation.