The Foreign Service Journal, December 2011

D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 9 U.S.-Russia Policy: Reset 2.0 As Prime Minister Vladimir Putin plans his return to the Kremlin this May, many observers are speculating on the direction U.S.-Russia rela- tions may take. President Dmitry Medvedev has frequently collaborated with President Barack Obama, but there is concern that Putin may try to assert Russia’s independence at the ex- pense of cooperation with U.S. diplo- matic efforts. The recently named U.S. ambassa- dor to the Russian Federation, Michael McFaul, one of the authors of the Obama administration’s Russia pol- icy “reset,” defended the reset during his Oct. 12 nomination hearing. “Rather than framing all interactions between the United States and Russia as zero-sum contests for power and in- fluence, Pres. Obama has proposed that we look to produce win-win out- comes,” McFaul told the Senate For- eign Relations Committee. Senate Republican Policy Commit- tee members characterized the reset policy as “more a change in tone than in substance.” Their questions focused on the 2008 Russian-Georgian War and continued Russian occupation of Georgian territory, alleged Russian complicity in a plot to blow up the U.S. embassy in Tbilisi, Moscow’s contin- ued protection of the current Syrian regime and alleged nuclear coopera- tion with Iran, and Moscow’s abysmal human rights record, among many other complaints. Defenders of the reset assert that it has motivated Russia to allow NATO troops to use its territory to supply its troops in Afghanistan, an initiative first pursued by the George W. Bush ad- ministration. Other benefits include an updated Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty; closer coordination of policy to- ward Iran, North Korea and Libya; co- operation on weapons of mass destruc- tion issues; a nuclear agreement; and improved bilateral trade and invest- ment relations. However, Russia has yet to join the World Trade Organization, primarily due to Georgian opposition and the Jackson-Vanik Amendment of 1974, which denies Russia most-favored-na- tion status because of human rights concerns. Under WTO trade law, all members grant MFN status to one an- other by consensus, so even one mem- ber-state’s opposition is enough to prevent Moscow’s accession. As we went to press, Russian acces- sion appeared more likely. But in the meantime, Moscow has focused on re- lations with China, which joined it in vetoing United Nations sanctions on C YBERNOTES SITE OF THE MONTH: http://persn.com/en/pages/faq Personal Security Network is a system that allows people traveling or working in unfamiliar or risky areas to know that if they go missing, friends, family and col- leagues will be notified immediately. The way it works is that the PerSN account holder sets up a schedule for when he or she will “check in” to the account — not checking in at the scheduled time triggers an alert, which automatically e-mails the account holder’s emergency con- tacts to let them know he or she has failed to check in. The account holder can de- activate the system or change the check-in schedule as needed. And there is no need for a fancy smart phone: it works on any SMS-capable cell phone. Emergency contacts can also communicate via a forum and are given each other’s contact information to allow for a collaborative response. Development is under way to allow check-in via a phone call and touch-tone menu, and to facilitate integration with Facebook. In the near future, applications for iPhone and Android systems will permit live tracking of individuals following their failure to check in. For journalists, dissidents, tourists, lawyers, students and businesspeople, Personal Security Network could be a crucial link in assuring quick, efficient re- sponses to emergency situations. — Laura Pettinelli, Editorial Intern