John Beyrle, former United States ambassador to the Russian Federation, discussed the nature of Russian-American relations to an audience of over 50 people at Harris Hall.

His speech, “New Cold War or New Reality?” concluded the Roberta Buffett Center’s three-speaker series, in which the institute invited diplomats this quarter to speak on Russia. The talks, coming at a time of tensions between Russia and the West, have addressed the challenges of current relations.

During his talk, the ambassador said relations with Russia revolve around American self-interests. U.S. concerns, he said, surround Russia’s nuclear arsenal, its veto vote on the United Nations Security Council and the country’s vast stores of natural resources.

Beyrle then pointed to three factors that, according to him, represent serious changes in the geopolitical environment of the nation.

First, he voiced concern over the “determination of Vladimir Putin to set Russia on a new course that rejects the West.” Within Russia there are tensions between the conservative “Slavophiles” and Westernizers, Beyrle said.

He said the conservative movement is strong because “it is the first redefinition of Russia’s post-Soviet identity that makes sense to many Russians.”  

Beyrle said the second change is the new “scale of economic ties between Russia, the U.S. and Europe.” He said trade and investment between the U.S. and Russia almost doubled in the past decade.

Finally, the ambassador said Russian society’s evolution has further altered the political landscape in the past 20 years. To demonstrate this interconnectedness, he invoked the image of Russians working in the Silicon Valley and traveling abroad.

During a Q&A session, the ambassador addressed the importance of action after the Russian annexation of Crimea.

“Thank God we enlarged NATO,” he said.

Igor Alfimov, a McCormick freshman from Ukraine, said he “liked the pragmatism of Ambassador Beyrle for long term solutions in the region.” He also said he was glad to hear Beyrle include China in his discussion, which he said the other speakers in the series did not.

Weinberg senior Sam Houskeeper said Beyrle was “definitely thoughtful about his contemplation on the subject.”

“I thought that it was interesting how he took a more careful view on the U.S.’s role than the other speakers from earlier in the quarter had,” Houskeeper said after the event.

Beyrle concluded the talk by sharing his belief that Russia will move towards building “something different” in the next 25 years.

Email: seanconway2018@u.northwestern.edu