Kalachev D.N. The crises in the history of Russia-NATO relations

Abstract: This article analyzes the three major crises in the history of Russia-NATO relations (1999, 2008 and 2014). Those crises were directly linked with the disagreements on the status of territories like Kosovo, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Crimea. Analyzing each crisis in the succession, the author reaches for the reasons and draws attention to the fact that each time, disagreements between the two sides lead to a halt in cooperation, freezing of common programs and institutes. This, however, was successfully overcome during the course of the first two crises. The methodological basis of this research consists of systemic, structural-functional, comparative-historical, comparative-political, geopolitical and cultural-civilizational approaches, and methods of analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, modeling and observation. From the author’s point of view, the crises demonstrate the fundamental differences of the two parties regarding the legal evaluation of core International Law, as it is present in U.N. legislation, and regarding the system of European security, in a period of a global system crisis. The author concludes that another quality level of partnership is needed, and that it is impossible to build a security system for Europe without, or against Russia.

Keywords: