Similarly, the notion that the problem in relations with Russia is a lack of dialogue presupposes that more dialogue will narrow differences, when in fact RussiaвЂ™s current leadership is strongly motivated to maintain confrontation as a means of forcing concessions from the West. So, too, does the argument that it is necessary or desirable for the West to make concessions to win Russian cooperation on particular issues. The belief, for example, that Russia and the West have the same desired end state for their relationship arises when we project our own values on to Moscow and assume that we share a default common understanding of basic principles. Some originate in the West, based on the default assumptions of politicians and policymakers whose formative experience has been restricted to operating in Western democratic systems and interacting with like-minded countries. The origins and causes of these myths can be divided into several broad categories. It describes the impact of these misconceptions on Western policy towards Russia, and in each case suggests what better-informed policy w ould look like. It outlines how specific misconceptions have gained unwarranted traction in policymaking circles in the вЂWestвЂ™ (understood here principally as Western Europe and North America). To this end, the report presents 16 of the most prevalent вЂmythsвЂ™ вЂ“ in a broadly defined sense вЂ“ that distort the Western policy debate on Russia. вЂEffectiveвЂ™ in this context means, in particular, deterring Russian aggression abroad and ultimately securing a less adversarial relationship with Russia without compromising principles of sovereignty and security and the values on which they are based.

This study encourages Western governments and institutions to reassess their assumptions about Russia in order to develop more effective responses to the increasing challenges the country presents. Western policies towards Russia have failed to achieve their basic goal of establishing a stable and manageable relationship with Moscow because the thinking behind them has often been unrealistic or simply flawed. This report deconstructs 16 of the most prevalent myths that shape contemporary Western thinking on Russia, and explains their detrimental impact on the design and execu tion of policy.

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