The Foreign Service Journal, December 2016

14 DECEMBER 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Time for a New “Long Telegram” on Russia M anagement of the strained relation- ship with Russia will be at the top of the new administration’s foreign policy to-do list. Prominent Russia experts Thomas E. Graham—a former FSO and former National Security Council senior director for Russia, now with Kissinger Associates and Yale University—and Matthew Rojan- sky—director of the Wilson Center’s Ken- nan Institute and former deputy director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace—have put forth cogent suggestions on how to proceed. Graham’s “The Sources of Russian Conduct,” published in August by The National Interest , is a call for a new way to approach dealing with Russia. He presents a detailed analysis of Moscow’s predicament today and the changed global context for U.S.-Russian relations. Graham urges policymakers to abandon the “failed tropes of the past”— namely, the tendency to view Russia through the lens of Vladimir Putin, who is variously painted as a cartoonish villain or an ally-in-waiting. Washington must let go of the post- Cold War assumption that Russia would be integrated into the West, Graham says. But he also reminds us that Russia is not the Soviet Union: It plays a lesser role, and U.S.-Russia relations will no longer define the multipolar international system. Graham argues for creating a “sus- tainable balance of power that advances American interests by promoting peace and security, and fostering collaboration among geopolitical rivals in addressing global transnational threats.” In a second article, “America’s Rus- sia Policy Has Failed,” co-authored by Graham and Rojansky and published TALKING POINTS in Foreign Policy on Oct. 13, the authors note that attempting to isolate Moscow diplomatically and economically through sanctions has not worked: “Moscow has succeeded in challenging a wide range of American interests, most notably in Ukraine, Syria and cyberspace.” Graham and Rojansky offer the new U.S. administration seven recommenda- tions for dealing with Russia “as it really is,” while aiming to construct a “web of interactions, both cooperative and com- petitive, that yields the most beneficial balance for our national interests.” Here are their recommendations: Understand That It’s Not Just About Putin. Problems with Russia are geopo- litical, and the tendency of recent U.S. administrations to treat them instead as tied to the personal political leadership of Vladimir Putin ignores history and is not productive. Stop Ukraine from Becoming a Frozen Conflict. The United States should encour- age adherence to the Minsk II peace deal signed by Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany in 2015. While flawed, the deal provides a legal and political commit- D oSomething.org is a non- profit organization with the goal of motivating young people to encourage social change through national cam- paigns and grants for projects that have an impact. The organization has mem- bers signed up in every area code in the United States, as well as in 131 countries around the world. The website allows young people looking to make a difference to select from a number of causes from, for example, animal welfare to homelessness and health care. Visitors can also select the type of help they feel able to give, from face-to-face interactions with those in need of assistance to starting a group or activity in the local area, or simply donating money to organizations that already exist. In addition to providing a platform for young people to get together and effect social change, DoSomething. org also offers a number of scholar- ships for completing community service or engaging in one or more of their campaigns. To apply for the scholarships, applicants must sign up on the website, select one of the campaigns listed on the “Easy Scholarships” page, complete it and upload a photo to prove their participation. Information about the scholar- ships available and eligibility to apply can be found at www.dosomething. org/us/about/easy-scholarships. —Gemma Dvorak, Associate Editor SITE OF THE MONTH: www.dosomething.org/us