US & EU Relations with Russia
Events in Russia have always been important to the United States and the European Union, and it is clear that the relationship between them and Russia has been strained at least in part because of the expropriation of Yukos and the imprisonment of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.
The Yukos Affair is viewed as a barometer of the rule of law and a test case for the future of energy investment cooperation between the US, the EU and Russia.
When US President Barack Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in London on April 1, 2009, they discussed the drafting of a new arms control treaty and workings towards improved ties between their countries, and hailed a mutual determination to "reset" their relations. However, global leaders including President Obama have also devoted part of their time in Russia and with Russian leaders to raise concerns over the treatment of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev.
During a visit to Moscow in July 2009, President Obama pointedly remarked that he thought it was "odd...that these new charges, which appear to be a repackaging of the old charges, should be surfacing now, years after these two individuals have been in prison and as they become eligible for parole."
To formalize the "reset" for the promotion of human rights and civil liberties, Presidents Obama and Medvedev established the US-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission's Civil Society Working Group, headed by Vladislav Surkov, first deputy chairman of the Russian Presidential Administration, and Michael McFaul, special assistant to President Obama and senior director for Russian Affairs at the National Security Council.
In Europe, the Khodorkovsky-Lebedev case continues to be a major impediment in developing closer relations with Russia. The EU and Russia are currently negotiating a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) as a framework for the development of their relationship across many areas and sectors. The European Parliament has strongly indicated that the PCA should reflect a respect for democracy, human rights and the rule of law, in addition to reaffirming the importance of energy security, the Energy Charter Treaty and the European Court of Human Rights.
In a show of solidarity against the ongoing persecution of Khodorkovsky and Lebedev, the European Parliament in February 2011 adopted a resolution on the rule of law in Russia highlighting the second Khodorkovsky-Lebedev trial, expressing "serious concern at the verdict" and emphasizing that "serious judicial questions have been raised concerning this and previous trials against the two". The resolution also called for an independent judicial review to be conducted in connection with the pending appeal against the verdict.
Actions undertaken by the Russian government over several years on issues as wide ranging as energy supply cut-offs to neighboring Ukraine and Belarus (ultimately leading to shortages in western Europe), harassment of foreign businesses including British Petroleum and Royal Dutch Shell, and the failure to respect basic human rights, most notably with a legal system free from political interference, continue to raise questions about the current regime's path toward democracy and adherence to international norms. In particular, the Yukos Affair has come to symbolize the erosion of democracy and absence of rule of law in Russia.
Leaders of the United States and the European Union pay utmost attention to how Russian authorities treat the Russian citizenry, Russia's neighbors and rest of the international community. The rule of law, property rights, human rights and political stability are all issues that continue to be raised by the United States and the European Union in connection with the Yukos Affair. In Washington DC and in Brussels and the capitals of the European Union, there is an understanding that the way Russian authorities behave internally has a direct bearing on how they behave externally.