Part One: U.S. strategy in the 21st century: leadership through hegemony
Chapter II: Role and Place of the USA in the Twenty-first Century in the Research of American Political Scientists and Scholars of International Affairs
R. Craig Nation’s Policy of “Limited Engagement”
Another Russian expert is R. Craig Nation, who has written extensively on Soviet and Russian foreign and security policies. He expresses a somewhat different view of Russia. He writes that in the United States, three approaches toward Russia exist. The first reflects hope for a strategic partnership with Russia and implies her association with the West. The second reflects the policy of neo-containment, mentioned also by McFaul. The third corresponds to the policy of limited engagement—precisely the one pursued by the Clinton administration. (32-33)
The latter option is the most realistic one because Russia and the USA agree on some things and differ on others. Besides, a strategic partnership implies parity or near-parity of powers; Russia is currently in decline; therefore, there can be no partnership, and “Russia has no choice but to adapt its aspirations to the realities of its subordinate status.” (34) Russia’s behavior reflects precisely that kind of status. Appeals to multipolarity, rhetoric with pretensions to a great power status, balancing acts, and alliance-building games are all typical manifestations of a country’s weakness. Therefore, the United States should free itself from the illusion of special relationships, avoid cultivating exaggerated notions of a threat, and start working with Russia on a pragmatic basis, concentrating on areas of mutual interest.
This is the approach of a typical pragmatist who fully understands the balance of power and relative strength of states.
The 21st Century: The World Without Russia
(Philosophical-sociological Essay)