Russia Policy: Courage to Criticise
Lessons from the Handling of the Chechen War
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Three decades have passed since relations between Russia and the West have been as bad as they are now. The reason is the annexation of the Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine, which Russia provoked. Can Russia be made to change course by means of criticism? Or are topics of conflict to be avoided in order to prevent greater alienation? During the Second Chechen War, criticism of human rights violations had an immediate effect in some cases. Nothing similar is to be expected today. Nonetheless, the West should cultivate an open and critical interaction with the Putin administration so that it does not lose credibility in the long term.
(Osteuropa 6-7/2016, pp. 159–169)