Biden Will Have to 'Find a Common Language' with Putin: CNN

Since the end of the 'Cold War', the relations between Russia and the US have been at their worst. American institutions are battling against mass cyberattacks, which they blame on Moscow. In connection with the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, Western authorities are demanding answers from the Kremlin, and the US has steadily tightened sanctions against Russia due to the war in Ukraine and supposed interference in the 2016 US presidential elections, writes CNN's Nathan Hodge.

However, a country rich in nuclear weapons like Russia, comparable to the US arsenal, cannot simply be put in the penalty box. Political experts generally agree that the Russian leadership must be involved in resolving major global crises, from curbing Iran's nuclear ambitions to stopping the short-lived and bloody war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This means that Biden's administration will need to engage with Putin on a range of foreign policy issues.

However, one should not expect Biden's policy to replicate the 'reset' strategy; that term sounds like a curse in Washington when it comes to relations with Russia. Back in 2009, then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had presented a 'reset' button to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an attempt to give relations with Russia a new chance. The gift, unfortunately, was a complete failure; the inscription on the button incorrectly translated 'overcharge' instead.

Since then, relations between the US and Russia have continued to deteriorate. Nevertheless, everyone in Washington reluctantly acknowledges that there is no cooperation with Russia. As recently as August, a group of prominent American foreign policy figures signed an open letter calling for a 'reimagining' of US policy towards Russia.

“It is unreasonable that two countries that have the capacity to destroy one another and end civilization within half an hour do not have fully functional diplomatic relations,” the letter stated.

One of the first issues Biden's team will need to address is the extension of the New START treaty on strategic offensive arms reduction, a document that limits the nuclear arsenals of the US and Russia, the author writes, noting that White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki recently informed reporters that the new administration is ready to cooperate with Russia on the treaty extension.

Arms control is a technical and not very glamorous issue that requires patience and diplomatic work, but it is necessary; trust between the US and Russia has been forgotten, and our countries have exited agreements designed to reduce the risks of military miscalculations.

However, the alleged poisoning and now the arrest of opposition leader Alexei Navalny is taking US-Russia relations into a new phase, the author notes, emphasizing that Navalny should not be viewed as a traditional Western liberal, as “elements of populism and Russian nationalism exist in his politics.”