But this misconception rests on the idea that other nations are passive reflections of our actions, so that the state of relations depends on what we do or don't do. This is silly, of course. Nations can and do take actions that have nothing to do with what we do or don't do.
Russia, for example:
Throughout this time, from the chaotic post-Soviet period to the restrengthening era of recent years, Russia has viewed the United States as its adversary.
Moscow continues to see Washington as trying to contain (or even break) Russian power with U.S. military installations in Central Europe and Central Asia, its expansion of NATO and the creation of bilateral security pacts with former Soviet states like Georgia. Despite the appearance of warmer relations between Moscow and Washington, the Kremlin and much of Russia's population still consider the United States a top threat. To Russia, Cold War tactics are still not only useful, they are expected.
The Russians view us as an adversary. And it doesn't matter how many times we give away the store in so-called diplomacy with Moscow. Oh, the Russians will smile and say nice things about us every time they sucker us into a bad deal. But Russia will simply bank their gains until we wise up and treat them like the paranoid competitors that they are.
Russia should join the West. Perhaps their growing realization that their Far East is vulnerable to China will push them to some sort of sanity about us. But until the Russians realize that, they'll treat us as their main enemy regardless of what we do or don't do.
