From the perspective of Western states, the history of international politics has been a long series of questions. One was the “Balkan Question,” which since the early 20th century has referred to how and by what means a permanent peace can be ensured in that region. Another and related question that consumed the 20th century was the “German Question,” or how to ensure the security of Europe with a unified Germany at its center. Another is the “Palestinian Question,” which is shorthand for finding a formula that will enable the Palestinian people to have their own nation-state alongside the Jewish state of Israel.
But there is another question that has been just as vexing to Western foreign policymakers: the Russian Question.
The question of whether the West and Russia can peacefully co-exist is quite relevant today, and for many observers, the answer is a decidedly firm, “No.” The ongoing war in Ukraine has laid bare the frictions between the two camps, while confirming that Russia is not interested in being a full participant in the Western-led international order, be it “rules-based” or otherwise.