Casual Words #2: NATO and Russia

NATO Acts to Renew Its Relations with Russia

By STEVEN ERLANGER

Published: December 19, 2008

PARIS — The secretary general of NATO had lunch on Friday with the Russian ambassador to the organization, beginning the “conditional and graduated re-engagement” with Moscow that NATO foreign ministers approved earlier this month.

(Source: NY Times)

北約展開行動重建對俄關係

北大西洋公約組織秘書長在週五中午與俄國大使餐敘，開啟了與俄國「有條件的漸進交往」，該政策於本月稍早獲北約各成員國外長贊同。

Our say:

Russia has always taken NATO as an aggressive alliance, especially when the Czech Republic, Poland and Baltic countries became members of NATO. While the United States tried to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO, Russia finally made a move and gave a firm response with the Georgia War, condemned by the West afterward.

俄國向來將北約視為有侵略性的聯盟，特別在捷克、波蘭及波羅的海諸國成為北約成員之後。當美國試圖將喬治亞及烏克蘭引入北約，俄國終以喬治亞戰爭做為堅決回應的手段，也因此受到西方的譴責。

However, a large part of European countries’ gas imports are from Russia. No one can promise the stability of gas sources since Russia once cut the pipeline to neighboring countries. If the European countries are in conflict with Russia, it will only threaten their energy supply and consequently their economy.

然而，歐洲有一大部分地區依賴俄國供給天然氣。沒有人可以保證該供給的穩定性，因為俄國曾經切斷與鄰國間的天然氣管線（以能源為其外交籌碼）。若歐洲國家與俄國發生衝突，勢必會對其能源造成威脅而牽連經濟。

While China, being more influential after the Olympics, actually gets the most benefits from the status quo. How to avoid a firm alliance between Russia and China in confrontation against the West might be the latter’s priority challenge. It seems the big nations have no choice but to gradually re-engage with Russia as a new rising power. Hope the re-engagement is as good as the lunch.

另一方面，奧運之後國際影響力更行增加的中共，則在現狀當中得利最多。如何避免中俄形成與西方對抗的同盟關係，為後者的優先考量。如此看來，各大國除了與俄國重啟關係以外，似乎沒有其他選擇。