Von Bahr lernen? Anregungen für eine neue Russlandpolitik

Abstract

Egon Bahr’s 1963 speech outlined ways to achieve rapprochement with the Soviet Union through mutual recognition. The article asks in how far this approach can be useful for the current crisis in Russian-Western relations. It demonstrates that the policy-of-strength-approach has not reached the desired results so far, so that a change in strategy is needed. Along Bahr’s line of argument, it shows that functional separation can help to reduce tensions. If this strategy succeeds, cooperation in fields of mutual interests - that has been low in the past years - should be revived. However, unlike the 1960s, there is a lack of international support for rapprochement with significant divides both within the transatlantic relations and within the European Union.