Statements & Articles

Press release APR 20, 2009

CONGRESS OF RUSSIAN AMERICANS, Inc.
2460 Sutter St., San Francisco, uCA 95115
Organization for preservation of Russian Heritage and encouragement of active participation of Russian Americans in the public life of the United States.

On U.S. - Russia relations

Signs of the changing relations between the United States of America and the Russian Federation gives hope to Russian Americans that the United States will develop its policy toward Russian Federation on the basis of understanding and respect for each country’s interest – the U.S.’s as well as Russia’s – based on pragmatic considerations of mutual interests of both countries. We are convinced that cultivating friendly relations with Russia will serve the interests of the United States and especially its security. We believe that there are no unsolvable disagreements between the two nations, on the contrary, there are many potential areas for mutual cooperation. Therefore, the United States’ policy emphasis should be on cooperation rather than on confrontation.

However, long-held political views of special political circles produce deep roots. It is unfortunate, that to this day U.S. policy dealing with Russia appears to have a rather strong tendency not to recognize an obvious fact – the crash of the Soviet Union with its entire system – and to continue the policy of “containment” thereby prolonging the “Cold-War” state of mind. Soviet Union existed for only about 75 years – a period of time insignificant in comparison with the 1000-year long history of Russian statehood – nevertheless it has become “fashionable” to attribute to Russia as innate all negative qualities characteristic of the Soviet period and require their eradication by all available means – proper and improper. To continue making such conclusions in reality based on distorted understanding of Russian history can cause serious harm to U.S. interests.

We hope that in the new U.S.-Russian relations there will be a willingness to establish, if not friendly, at least “neighborly relations” and that there will be no place for a retribution factor. We are witnessing significant successes in the areas where the decision was made in favor of cooperation between the two nations and hope that these areas will be expanded and many other potential areas for cooperation will be found. We are confident, that following such a course is in the best interest of our country.

B. Maximow, 2nd V.P. CRA