The Red and Black

Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: Opinions

KIRK CARTER

What is the greatest threat facing the United States?

Believe it or not, it's an old foe - Russia - a country with a nuclear arsenal that could make Mahmoud Ahmadinejad salivate.

Russia also has far more legitimacy and influence than the Iranian president could ever hope to see.

America's old Cold War foe is also becoming just as loud and obnoxious as Iran or North Korea.

Russian saber rattling has become a destabilizing force in Europe and an empowering force to anti-American rhetoric.

The U.S. response has been simply to ignore the problem and focus on its multiple quagmires in the Middle East.

However, by acting now to solve the root of Russia's disharmony, we can avoid a second Cold War and liberate Russia from a plague that has been afflicting it since 1999.

That plague is caused by Putin, a ruler that has long held Russia in a vice and prevented the forward motion and development it was entitled to following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

This is a problem that stems from Russia being collectively overlooked and under-appreciated.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia has felt a growing disrespect from Western nations and has taken out its frustrations via international action and internal neglect.

That is the reason we should involve Russia in helping to solve the most pressing global issues.

Russia has the same concerns as the United States in regards to a nuclear-capable Iran or North Korea.

More importantly, it brings resources and bargaining power to the table that an ally such as Norway simply can't.

Russia's power and prestige provides legitimacy to its threats and compels rogue states to listen.

When I was a kid, I was always more fearful of my parents acting as a united front. The same principle roughly applies in terms of dealing with rogue states.

Having both Russia and the United States on board with threats and sanctions creates a higher likelihood of compliance by thugs such as Ahmadinejad.

By engaging and involving Russia in helping to solve international problems, we also create bonds of cooperation that serve to benefit both nations moving forward.

Forging trust means being open about our intentions in Europe. Russia likely feels threatened by what it perceives to be an American offensive.

Russia recently decried the construction of an American missile shield in Poland as a direct affront to its sovereignty and security.

In addition to explaining its intentions with the missile shield, the United States must make it readily apparent that it opposes Georgian and Ukrainian membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The Russians already perceive NATO enlargement into former satellite states as a threat to their security. Moving NATO further onto its borders would only heighten this state of alarm.

In the same vein, we should also be willing to take a hard-line on Russian incursion into the Western Hemisphere.

By aiding Venezuela and its cronies, Russia is only serving to stoke the flames of a surging anti-American sentiment that is a growing threat to U.S. economic and security interests in our own backyard. We survived life at the brink of nuclear destruction for more than 40 years through conversation and diplomacy.

No amount of offensive capability will replace the safety and security that comes with a mutually forged trust.

- Kirk Carter is a junior from Athens majoring in international affairs.

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