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Author : V. Terekhov
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Professor at the Moscow State Institute (University)
of International Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation
IN SEPTEMBER 1955, ten years after the end of the war in Eu-
rope, the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations with the Fed-
eral Republic of Germany. The reason why this event had taken so
long to come about was that the two countries first had to go
through a multitude of extremely complicated problems, and that
took time.
As years were going by, it was increasingly obvious that not everyone
believed in a world order based on peaceful, equal and constructive
cooperation and respect for nations' choice of path of development.
The Cold War, which broke out almost immediately after World War
II, had become a stable form of international relations.
The West German Social Democratic government realized earlier
than conservative politicians did that throwing off at least some of the fetters of the Cold War
and making compromises would be a more productive route to take than obstinate confrontation
with the Soviet Union.
This agreement changed the political scene in Europe and worldwide. Simultaneous dramatic
processes in the Soviet Union and in Eastern Europe became another source of global change.
Its authors suggest bringing back the Soviet-era formula of peaceful coexistence, which did not
prevent the two sides from being divided on key points. But that was the formula for the period
when the Soviet Union still existed, and it would have been problematic for the West to try to
not coexist with it. Yet some people in the West think it is worth trying out this formula. Not
much of an idea.
One more suggestion is that the West tries to create some new kind of security system for itself
that excludes Russia. But what kind of security would it be without Russia being part of the sys-
tem?
Obviously, nothing will work if Russia and the West don't start a new dialogue - without any
preliminary conditions or demands - to negotiate a mutually acceptable degree of security. The
status quo in Ukraine could be frozen for the negotiation period and fighting there could be
stopped under Russian and Western control.
A comprehensive settlement in Ukraine is hardly achievable today. It will be a while before it be-
comes possible, but Germany, and the West in general, would be able to bring it forward. But
they are still at the crossroads. Such is today's reality.
http://interaffairs.ru
The Soviet Union and the Federal Republic of Germany: The 60th
Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations