Introduction to International Politics
Foreign Event Analysis
| Locale | ![[]](http://www.kvasaheim.com/flags/flag15-ru.png "Flag of Russian Federation") | Russian Federation |
|---|---|---|
| Title |
Arms Race Part II?
| |
| Summary |
In a speech given yesterday, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev warned the United States that if it does not renounce its plans to station missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic, Russia will install tactical weapons as well as technology to interfere with the functioning of the US missiles in Kaliningrad. Medvedev claimed that the refusal of the United States to listen to Russia’s entreaties for positive cooperation forced Russia to take these measures.
| |
| Analysis |
From a Realist Perspective, since the United States has decided to increase its military presence in Eastern Europe, Russia feels its security is threatened and deems it necessary to increase its own military presence in the region to counter that security threat. The United States will upset the balance of power in the region; therefore, Russia will respond by counterbalancing that power.
The United States’s missiles are for defense purposes (should Iran attempt to launch missiles), but Russia views them as a threat to Russia’s territory and its role as the dominant power in the region. This is an example of the Neoclassical Realist theory that states act based on misguided perceptions of the power of other states. However, as Russian-US relations continue to deteriorate, Russia may not be completely misguided in viewing the weapons as a threat. | |
| Perspective |  | Realist |
| In-Region URL | ||
| Out-of-Region URL | ||
| Submitted | November 6, 2008 at 8:15 pm | |
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