Areas of Cooperation and Difference between Russia and NATO after the Cold War

Although Russia and NATO have been cooperating on such issues as fighting terrorism، the situation in Afghanistan، weapons of mass destruction، and piracy in the post-Cold War era، there have been also strategic differences between them، including over the US missile defense shield، eastward expansion of NATO، and globalization of NATO activities، which have played a crucial role in these two actors’ relations. Russia''s effort to achieve strategic balance with the West and revive the bipolar world system، as well as NATO’s attempts at establishing its strategic dominance in order to maintain the Western hegemony led by the US، have engaged the two sides in a zero-sum game، which has overshadowed all aspects of strategic cooperation between them. Russia is، consequently، distrustful of NATO in such areas and will continue to establish new security arrangements centered on Moscow within framework of Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Collective Security Treaty Organization in cooperation with such allies as China. The goal is to prevent NATO and the US from dominating the Central Asia and Eurasia while establishing Moscow’s desirable strategic balance with the West-NATO axis.