Reframing Germany’s Russia policy

Germany has so far been a Russia advocate in the EU, as helping Russia modernize has dovetailed neatly with German economic interests. But Berlin has had to admit that its Russia policy has hit a wall; it is now open to a more critical approach, a new policy that is cooperative without being deferential to the Kremlin. European partners should capitalize on this new distance from Moscow to push Germany to take a leadership role in coordinated common Russia and Eastern Partnership policies.