At least since Soviet times, Russian leaders have been keen on outlining long term plans and doctrines in which the aims and means of their policy are explained to the people and the surrounding world. The most relevant Concept to Russian foreign policy presents the following priorities and objectives:

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has stressed that the European Union should conduct negotiations about the signing of an association agreement not only with Ukraine but also with Russia. "The fundamental interest of the EU lies in the fact that Russia would be its reliable and stable partner. The key solution  for the Russian-Ukrainian conflict lies in collaboration with Russia, not in confrontation with it," said Schroeder. He points out that it is not in the interests of Europe or the United States that Russia would focus on Asia not on the EU.

The decision (instigated by the U.S.) and endorsed by Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan to evict Russian from the G-8 is a fairly empty gesture. First there’s no formal enforcement mechanism for removing a country from the G-8, which has been meeting since 1975, so all the other countries have to do is not invite Russia to their party. The expulsion serves no constructive purpose.

We reproduce hereunder an extract of an article written by Stephen F Cohen Professor Emeritus of Russian studies and politics at New York University and Princeton, that was published in The Nation (USA) on March 3, 2014 under the title “Distorting Russia” How the American media misrepresent Putin, Sochi and Ukraine.

Political relations with the national parliaments of foreign states are cultivated by bilateral and multilateral parliamentary friendship groups. Their purpose is to promote ongoing dialogue with the parliamentary institutions of one or more partner states. Primarily, this involves exchanges of information and opinions with members of other parliaments. In parallel to these discussions with their peers, the groups also organise meetings with government and civil-society representatives.

Austria: Relations between Austria and Russia are coloured by a shared imperial history and close trade ties, especially in the energy field. There are many areas of cooperation with Russia from political and security issues to justice and home affairs which are discussed at regular high level political and official meetings. For Austria any kind of escalation against Russia should be avoided as Russia and the EU have strategic reasons for reasonable co-operation.

Russia has never systematically lobbied its interests in Brussels. There is no pro-Russian  lobby at EU level that politically supports Russia, promote its interests in Brussels , and works systematically on improving EU-Russian relations. We’re not talking here about Russia’s ‘public diplomacy and the use of public relations companies such as Brussels-based PR firm GPlus and others or the work undertaken by the Russian mission to the EU working on intelligence gathering and media handling.

The EU message (read the EU + USA) to Russia is clear: Choose the path to diplomacy and de-escalation or face increasing isolation and tighter and tighter sanctions.

The historically developed perception of Russia as fundamentally threatening to the United States’ values and interests strengthened domestic groups in American politics that worked to preserve the Russia-threat image after the end of the Cold War. The anti-Russian lobby in America emerged in the early 20th century and got consolidated during the Cold War. During that time powerful elites with mutually exclusive visions were formed on both sides of the Atlantic.

The biggest headache is geographical: Crimea has no land border with Russia. The closest link is a windswept ferry crossing in the far north-eastern corner of Crimea that connects Kerch with the Russian mainland. A bridge will have to be built across the 4.5-kilometer wide Strait of Kerch to mother Russia but that's a multi-year project.