Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives

By GRIT TV

July 1, 2009

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Stephen Cohen, a professor of Russian History at New York University, sees two pivotal moments that have undermined US/Russia relations in the last two decades. The first was a promise made by George H. W. Bush that after Germany's unification, NATO would not move further east. That promise was broken and today NATO knocks on Russia's doorstep with only a few post-Soviet states--Ukraine, Georgia, and Belarus--remaining beyond its orbit (excluding Central Asia). Then there was the aid, intelligence, and air bases Russia gave to the United States following 9/11. They thought they'd get something in return but instead the United States withdrew from the anti-ballistic missile treaty and helped prop up Georgia's Army and its leader Mikheil Saakashvili.

Today, among Russia's political class, there is a great deal of mistrust. Cohen's new book, Soviet Fates and Lost Alternatives: From Stalinism to the New Cold War, is a reflection on the recent past and on opportunities missed. Under Obama, will US/Russia relations change in any fundamental way? And are Obama's Russia advisors capable of changing course?

For more on the program and archives visit grittv.org.

About GRIT TV

GRITtv with Laura Flanders is a new, news and arts discussion show, available daily, in multiple formats, with interactivity and a positive take on what's going on. The show launched May 12, 2008. more...
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