No Regrets

The U.S. and others were criticized during the 1990's for quickly embracing the Baltic States and the former Soviet satellites in Eastern Europe. Now, with VVladimir Putin showing heavy-handedness in dealing with a remaining satellite state, the West can breathe a sigh of relief. The window of good relations with Moscow may close up as Putin enforces his dictatorship, but the collapse of the Soviet Union allowed democratization and economic growth in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, East Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania, and possibly Romania and Moldova. Ukraine, Belarus and the Caucusus are still in Russia's orbit, except perhaps Azerbaijan. Central Asia and Mongolia are iffy. If Russia becomes an enemy in the future, it will be weaker and smaller, and will be faced with the unpleasant reminder of its own backwardness every time it looks at the prosperity and freedom of its former clients.