Readers of this Blog and my book will know that I am sorely tested by the blinkered and unhelpful policy of the Foreign Office, regardless of the party in power, to modern Russia. This is rooted in the ideological challenge of Soviet Communism and a muddled belief that Russia should be judged on organising its institutions of government to the western European model. This guarantees a perpetual sterility in a relationship where mutual self interest demands much more productive engagement.
It would not have been possible to defeat Napoleon, the Kaiser or Hitler without Russia as our ally. Any attempt to do so without her would almost certainly have failed and cost countless British lives. Just how significant Russia’s contribution was in WWII can be found in the casualty figures. Britain lost just short of four hundred thousand military and civilian dead, Russia about twenty five million. It was Russia, not the Allies, who broke the back of the Nazi war machine. Put simply without Russia on our side, Hitler would have won.
This glance into history tells us something of the present. Many of the intractable problems of Europe and the Middle East today cannot be reliably solved without Russia’s participation. Russia is the eastern bookend of Europe as Britain is the western. Both have considerable reach into the middle east. Both have been historically threatened by central European powers, but today the threats are more subtle and mostly based on economics. Working together Britain and Russia could have brokered a joint approach to Syria which would have saved the slide into civil war and saved much human suffering. Working together Britain and Russia could help euroland to extricate itself from its deepening crisis which affects both the British and Russian economies. Working together the two countries could lift Britain out of recession and pull Russian infrastructure into the twenty first century.
Of course it cannot be denied that Russian democracy has many raw edges and its society many dark elements. It is also true that the majority of Russians value a strong leader above a pluralistic democracy American style and we have to accept that this will never change. But then we value our hereditary Monarchy, the honours system and titles, now unique in the modern world, above American style democracy too, so it should not be difficult for us to value common interest and shared objectives above odious comparison of each others domestic arrangements.
The Russians were good sports at the Olympics and after lagging behind, caught up and overtook us in the medals table, but not in the coveted golds, which outrank the others. We earned ourselves a new respect from across the world for not only the staging of, but our performance in, the Olympics. This should boost our confidence to be bold and reach out. Time for Hague to bite the bullet and call the Kremlin.