Fault Lines between East and West: Which Levers Can Rebuild Confidence?

Abstract

Several regional fault lines will define the character of relations between East and West in the coming years. It is already evident that notably in the Baltic region, both NATO and Russia have squandered a great deal of confidence, which will have to be rebuilt elsewhere. East-West relations today are more about mutual perceptions, provocations, and interpretations of intentions than ever before. Most long-standing negotiation formats are dysfunctional. The risk of miscalculations is huge, but there is also potential to rebuild trust and recalibrate relations in certain areas of mutual concern.