Editor-in-chief: Current Russia-West tensions trace back to Cold War's unexpected aftermath

In an interview with Caliber.Az, Fyodor Lukyanov, Editor-in-Chief of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs, Chairman of the Presidium of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense Policy, has shared insights into the historical context and ongoing tensions between Russia and the West.

Lukyanov highlighted that the current confrontation between Russia and the West traces its roots back to the end of the Cold War, which he described as an "unexpected" and "strange" conclusion. "It ended with the disappearance of one of the participants, disappearing of its own accord, and this became a pleasant surprise for the opponent, who was unable to recover from this shock for a long time," he explained.

He further pointed out that the "euphoria" that engulfed the West after the Cold War played a significant role in shaping current international relations. "This belief that ‘now, we can do anything,’ arose because there was no one to oppose them," Lukyanov said, emphasizing that the United States, confident in its unchallenged position, began to build a global system to its liking, which eventually contributed to the European security dilemma and the issue of NATO expansion.

Lukyanov noted that Russia, under Vladimir Putin, attempted to integrate into this Western-centric system, seeking a special place with certain conditions. However, these efforts were unsuccessful, as Russia was not welcomed.

"As a result of the dissatisfaction and the unwillingness of the victor to adjust its behaviour, despite strong suggestions to do so, we have ended up where we are now," Lukyanov said.

He concluded by noting that the Russia-West conflict is now part of a broader global restructuring, where the contradictions between Russia and the West play an important, though not the sole, role.

By Khagan Isayev