Russia's relations with the EU and the US have reached an important but difficult stage. Moscow considers EU and US policies to be threatening to Russian domestic and foreign interests. The EU and the US also have concerns about Russia. Indeed, they hold comparable views of certain Russian developments, particularly in terms of the consolidation of a new power structure, the slowing of reform (and evolving counter-reform in some areas), and the more unilateral foreign policy approach Moscow is adopting. They also recognize that their potential for leverage over Russia is decreasing, as Russian economic strength (in the shape of the income provided by energy exports) grows. This reduced leverage highlights the need for greater coordination between the EU and the US to achieve their goals with regard to Russia.
