The causes of the confrontation between Russia and the West.

(Baonghean) - Recently, one of the "hot" topics in newspapers and news programs has been the Ukraine crisis and the "war" between Russia and the West. As the world's largest country, Russia has three-quarters of its territory in Asia, but three-quarters of its population lives in Europe. Besides historical and cultural ties, Europe accounts for more than half of Russia's trade. However, traditional disagreements between Russia and the West seem to exist and could erupt at any time.

Relations between the two sides have deteriorated in recent years, especially over the current Ukraine issue, arguably the most tense since the Cold War. This confrontation is a remnant of the Cold War, a remnant of the Soviet-American confrontation, and a result of conflicting interests as Russia reasserts its role as a world power with leaders holding hardline views toward the West.

Russia's promising shipbuilding sector has also begun to face US sanctions. (Image: Internet)

1. Remnants of the Soviet-American confrontation

It can be said that the conflicts between Russia and the US with the West are the "ghosts" of the past, remnants of the confrontation between the Soviet Union and the US and the West, and remnants of the confrontation between socialism and capitalism during the Cold War.

The confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States, between socialism and capitalism, did not begin only after World War II, but arose immediately after the Russian October Revolution (1917) with the birth of Soviet Russia. At that time, Western capitalist countries concentrated their forces and sought every means to "crush" the fledgling Soviet Russia.

During World War II, the Soviet Union and the United States, Great Britain, and France formed an alliance to fight fascism, but conflicts between the Soviet Union and these capitalist countries persisted. When the war ended and fascism was defeated, the conflict between the Soviet Union and the United States, Great Britain, and France resurfaced. Their alliance shifted to an adversarial relationship. The Soviet Union assumed the role of "the bastion of socialism," while the United States assumed the "mission of leading the free world," helping the peoples of the world resist the "threat" of communism and the "expansionism" of Russia. The United States launched the Cold War against the Soviet Union and the socialist countries.

To implement their "containment policy," the United States and Western countries established military blocs and bases around the world, forming a blockade and isolating the Soviet Union and other socialist countries. The emergence of the two largest global military blocs (NATO and the Warsaw Pact), led by the United States and the Soviet Union respectively, created a rivalry, with both engaging in an arms race and acquiring modern weapons, especially nuclear weapons, to strengthen their respective blocs.

After 1991, the Soviet Union collapsed, and Russia is no longer a stronghold of communism, but it cannot be denied that present-day Russia is the embodiment of a powerful former Soviet Union, replacing the Soviet Union's role at the United Nations.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact – NATO's counterweight – also dissolved. However, NATO not only survived but also expanded eastward, threatening Russia's security. Naturally, to protect its core interests, Russia could not stand idly by while the West did whatever it wanted. Therefore, much like the partition of Germany in the past, the current Ukraine crisis shows that the struggle for influence will become increasingly fierce, recreating a version of the East-West confrontation that was the essence of the Cold War.

2. The resurgence of Russia as a superpower and a counterweight to the West.

Under Putin, Russia embodies a leading power, a center of Eurasian security, and is increasingly asserting itself as a counterweight to the West. Meanwhile, the resurgence of a "difficult" power like Russia is something the US and EU do not want.

While the US attempts to maintain a unipolar world order led by the US, Russia strongly opposes this order and advocates for a multipolar world in which Russia plays a more prominent role on the international stage. Many decisions by the US and the West face opposition from Russia, as well as vetoes from the country in the UN Security Council.

While the US continuously implements plans to cut its defense budget and military presence worldwide, Russia has consistently increased its military spending and combat capabilities. Russia's military strength and strategy have undergone significant changes, largely unfavorable to the West, particularly in the use of nuclear weapons as a fundamental deterrent against war. The Russian military's technical equipment and combat skills are steadily improving. The Chechen war of the 1990s, the Georgian war of 2008, and the recent campaign to reclaim Crimea clearly demonstrate the growing capabilities of the Russian military.

The US and the EU, on the one hand, need to cooperate with Russia for their economic development, but on the other hand, they always seek to contain Russia, seriously affecting Russia's security and interests in the world. Therefore, isolating Russia, weakening it, or even causing a crisis, is always the wish of these countries.

In an article in the Kommersant newspaper, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that Western and American partners seem to be pursuing a reflexive response based on the simple principle of "we are against them" and are not really thinking about the long-term impact of their actions.

In reality, the US and the West have repeatedly threatened and attacked Russia's allies, such as Yugoslavia and Syria, drawing CIS countries away from Russia's influence in order to isolate Russia. Looking at these Western strategies in Ukraine, Russian leaders are understandably worried that their country could become the next "victim." Naturally, these Western actions have met with opposition and countermeasures from Russia as a "corresponding response" to the West's assertive actions. This is precisely the cause of the current crisis in Ukraine.

Thus, the growing strength of a Russia increasingly seeking to assert itself, along with the expansion of NATO and the US-EU's desire to maintain their leading positions, is one of the causes of the Russia-Western confrontation.

3. Putin - a tough leader

Another cause of confrontation between nations is the conflict between their leaders. This is actually an extension of the above analysis, but in many cases it plays a crucial role; for example, in Russia, if it weren't Putin but a more moderate, more "manageable" leader, the situation might have been different. Of course, in that case, Russia would have had to sacrifice many core interests.

However, Russia is not like that in reality. In the current situation, even if it weren't for Putin, no Russian leader would tolerate a military alliance considered Moscow's enemy moving into Ukraine. Nor would any Russian leader stand idly by while the West is plotting to install a government aimed at aligning Ukraine with the West. Putin, on the other hand, is a tough leader, especially in his relations with the West.

In early 2000, shortly after assuming the presidency, in a speech titled "Russia at the Turn of the Millennium," Putin clearly stated his position: don't expect Russia to follow the American or European model, and that "Russia, both in the past and in the future, will be a great country." In Putin's eyes, it would be shameful not to restore Russia to its status as a powerful nation; he recognized the true face of the West when they used money as bait to force Russia to submit to their control. He soon began thinking about restoring Russia's great power. Therefore, despite Russia's many interests with the West, especially with the EU (bilateral trade reached 336 billion Euros in 2013), Putin was not afraid to confront them and was always prepared for a potentially strained relationship. That hardline stance dashed Western hopes of a "friendly" and "manageable" Russia.

Conversely, the West doesn't like Putin either. To them, Putin is a thorn in their side, but it's not easy to remove him as they did in Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, and Ukraine. After being pushed into a passive position by Putin on the Syria issue and suffering a loss of prestige in the E. Snowden scandal, the US and the West are now seeking to use economic sanctions to plunge Russia into crisis and "self-transformation." However, Putin's tit-for-tat actions are also causing turmoil and discord within the West.

In short, the confrontation between Russia and the West is a consequence of the Soviet-American confrontation from the Cold War, coupled with core conflicts of interest between the great powers and the hardline stance of Russian leaders. Among the causes analyzed above, one fundamental reason can be summarized as conflicting interests. Of course, for Russia, interests are not limited to economic aspects; most importantly, they encompass national pride and culture. This is what drives President Putin to confront the West, regardless of economic losses.

Vu Van Dat

(Researcher, Institute of Culture,Hanoi University of Culture