Valdai Club

It's an amazing phenomenon. For more than a quarter-century after the Cold War, the world has changed dramatically, but when a major international crisis occurs, it turns out that, as earlier in the already distant period, only two capable players remain - Moscow and Washington. And all those numerous international institutions, "rising powers", influential "global civil society" disappear...

More precisely, when problems happen, the contribution is made by all. But they can be solved only by very few.

Syria is an obvious example. Despite the fact that mistrust and misunderstanding reign in Russia-US relations, properly twice their joint efforts (in 2013 - with chemical weapons issue and in 2016 - with ceasefire and start of the political process) drew the situation from the frightening impasse. It really turned out that with coincided tasks a professional approach prevails over ideological emotions and work is well done. However, there is another side - separate changes do not affect the general state of relations, success in Syria does not mean a détente as a whole. But this seems to be a new norm - now everything is arranged in an ever more fragmented, but still interdependent world. The relationship integrity is getting smaller, but the cooperation is possible, despite the total hostility. Well, at least so ...

This next issue of the joint project of Kommersant and The Washington Times (the project was spearheaded by the Valdai Discussion Club, and now supported by the Center for the National Interest in Washington) presents two views over the present and the future of the Syrian crisis settlement. Let us hope that in the future new reasons will arise to discuss about a rare, but well-aimed selective cooperation.


Fyodor Lukyanov, Research Director of the Foundation for Development and Support of the Valdai Discussion Club

Russia, the U.S. and a great power peace in Syria. By Zalmay Khalilzad

Zalmay Khalilzad served as U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations. This article contains excerpts from his new memoir, “The Envoy: From Kabul to the White House, My Journey Through a Turbulent World.”


Syrian settlement as a precondition for routing international terrorism. By Alexander Aksenyonok

Alexander Aksenyonok, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, is an expert in Arab studies, a member of the Expert Council of the Federation Council’s International Affairs Committee, and a member of the Russian International Affairs Council.




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