US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter considers one of the main failures of Western policy towards Russia the decision to integrate it into all international structures, including security.
Source: US Ambassador to the OSCE Michael Carpenter
According to Carpenter, one of the biggest mistakes was the assumption that Russia’s modernization course would lead to its democratization, and as Russia became wealthier, it would become an increasingly responsible international player.
“Western countries have decided to integrate Russia into all international structures, including the World Trade Organization, multilevel arms control systems. Despite all this, Russia has violated all norms and principles of the international security system and international rules. This is one of the central failures of Western policy towards Russia.”
He stressed that the war waged by Russia is not only unprovoked aggression of one country against another, it is a matter of basic principles – international borders cannot be violated by force. Such a violation provoked a very dramatic vote in the UN General Assembly, where 141 countries against 5 voted in favour of Ukraine.
“The OSCE is deciding what kind of organization it can become in the future. The only positive thing I see from this situation is that Russia has become completely isolated. No country defends Russia’s war against Ukraine. Some countries prefer to remain silent, but no one defends,” Carpenter concluded.
See also: NATO will declare Russia a threat to peace and stability – NATO Secretary-General
