The Washington Post - 11.15.2001

 

The Washington Post

NATO and Russia Reinventing Relationship

By Peter Finn and Peter Baker

BERLIN, Nov. 14 -- NATO and the Russian government are discussing changes in the basic structure of their relationship to give Russia ground-level participation in formulating common policies on such subjects as terrorism and weapons proliferation, Western and Russian sources said.

Such a shift would be deeply symbolic but could also lead Russia to act in concert with NATO as never before, NATO officials say. The idea is to reinvent a relationship that has been marked by mutual suspicion since Russia began formally working with NATO through a body called the Joint Permanent Council in 1997.

That council was set up after three former Soviet satellites, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary, joined NATO in 1999. But its dealings have been often marked by recrimination, particularly during NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. Russia has continued to believe that the alliance remained a Cold War creature based on hostility to Moscow.

Both Russia and many countries in the alliance view the council as a failure, a place where the 19 NATO members establish a common position and then butt heads with Russia. Instead of being a cooperative "19 plus one," as conceived, it is derided, particularly by Russia, as "19 against one."

Under the structure being discussed, "19 plus one" would simply become "20." On select topics, given urgency by the events of Sept. 11, NATO and Russia would attempt to arrive at unified positions together. "There is a lot of interest in the alliance in seeing whether it's possible," said a senior NATO official, confirming the discussions.

The discussions are part of a broader rethinking of Russia's engagement with the West and a top subject of the summit between President Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin that began Tuesday in Washington.

In Houston today, Putin said: "We are prepared to expand cooperation with NATO and we are prepared to go as far as the Atlantic alliance is prepared to go." Bracketed by U.S. and Russian flags during a question-and-answer session with business and political leaders, he cited "some very good proposals" under consideration to "involve Russia in true decision-making."

Putin also expressed optimism that the two sides could forge a true partnership for the first time since the alliance was founded to counter Soviet expansionism more than a half-century ago.

"Everything has changed," said a Russian diplomat, "and we must re-evaluate our relationship. How we can fight together -- or perhaps a better word -- how we can solve things together?"

Putin left a meeting with NATO leaders in Brussels last month discouraged that his hopes of establishing closer ties were met only with what he considered "nice words," according to a former Russian official with ties to Moscow's military leadership. But the discussion in the weeks since then has grown increasingly serious.

"I'm very encouraged," said Celeste A. Wallander, a specialist on Russian-NATO relations at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "It's really beginning to look like not just the United States but Europe and Russia are willing to look at this more creatively."

In the past, she said, Russia preferred a one-on-one relationship of equals with Washington rather than simply being treated as another European ally. "Putin has changed the objective -- he wants to be one of the Europeans cooperating with the United States. He and his advisers have concluded that's better than being on the outside."

NATO is not ready to let Russia take part in military planning, Western officials said. But comments like Lukin's, coupled with Russian cooperation with the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, have begun to animate discussion inside NATO.

"Afghanistan has indicated areas of commonality and a willingness to get along, which offers the prospect of a leap forward," said another NATO official.

Officials cautioned that there was no formal proposal yet to change the Joint Permanent Council. What qualms have surfaced inside NATO are coming from some of the newest members who view Russian with deep suspicion because of their history of subjugation during the Soviet era, sources said.

For states open to the idea, particularly Germany, it is unclear on what issues beyond terrorism and weapons proliferation NATO and Russia could profitably work together. There are still areas of deep disagreement, including Russia's arms deals with countries such as Iran and Iraq.

But some analysts here believe that a new relationship could spill into other areas, including NATO membership for countries that were part of the Soviet Union, a move that Putin increasingly seems willing to countenance. The three Baltic countries, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, hope to join NATO next year.

Baker reported from Houston.