FROM ADVERSARIES TO ALLIES

November 2001
		The summit between President Bush and President Putin represents a significant milestone in U.S.-Russian relations. Is this change a result of the Sept. 11 attacks and the war against terrorism? What is at stake in a friendly alliance between former adversaries?

Forum Introduction How would China view the newly developed relationship between the US and Russia? Does Russia's poor GDP, failure to successfully implement market reforms, and war in Chechnya undermine any joint foreign policy initiatives between Russia and the U.S.? What is Russia's role in the Mideast; could Russia facilitate a cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians? The U.S. and Russia have joint initiatives through space programs, why not missile defense experiments?	When planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Russian President Putin was one of the first world leaders to call President Bush and offer condolences and support. Since then, Russia has asserted itself as a prominent figure in the international coalition against terrorism through its public gestures and its crucial intelligence assistance to the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. Washington, in return, has promised Russia to nullify the Cold War-era emigration sanctions, reduce its nuclear arsenal, and to push for Russia's swift induction into the World Trade Organization. As President Bush and Putin conclude their historic meeting in Crawford, Texas, the world will be watching to see if the two leaders resolve issues such as arms reduction, renegotiation of the 1972 Antiballistic Missile treaty, the future government for Afghanistan, and bilateral economic initiatives. The spectacle of two former Cold War enemies working together has led foreign policy experts to raise questions about Russia's motives for helping the U.S. at this time. Is Russia hoping to finesse its acceptance into major international organizations, like the WTO and NATO? And are their possible costs to a new alliance? Can Washington develop a relationship based on "trust and cooperation" with a country that does not have a fully developed democracy or an independent media, and is still fighting a controversial battle in Chechnya? Three experts look at what's at stake in an alliance with Russia and how the events of Sept. 11 have changed US-Russian relations. Dr. Celeste Wallander from the Center for Strategic and International Studies; Dr. Fiona Hill from the Brookings Institution; and Dr. Ariel Cohen from Heritage Foundation answer your questions.