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Dr. Igor Gretskiy highlights the transformative role of education amid rising geopolitical tensions in Russia
Photo Credit: Katrin Kerschbaumer
Dr. Igor Gretskiy is a research fellow at the International Centre for Defense and Security in Estonia. Prior to this, he headed the Rectorate’s International Office and served as an associate professor at the School of International Relations at St. Petersburg University in Russia. He provides expert media commentary on Russia’s foreign policy and major developments in Central and Eastern Europe.
Paul Matangcas, Salzburg Global Seminar Communications Intern: How important is the role of education, especially in discussing highly relevant topics such as Russia’s foreign policy and international affairs?
Igor Gretskiy, Research Fellow, International Centre for Defense and Security: [I entered academia because] I like the idea that I can help shape the future. I don’t teach anymore, but back [when I was still teaching], we [discussed] many things related to Russian foreign policy, international relations, the relationship between Russia and the West, the role of international relations, and the role of the United Nations. Besides, the university [is] the place where you can combine work in the academic field and [your] field of expertise. In order to advise somebody [and] share expertise, you will always have to learn. You have to upkeep your level of knowledge [and] you have to be in touch with many topics.
PM: In 2019, you co-authored “Post-Crimea Shift in EU-Russia Relations: From Fostering Interdependence to Managing Vulnerabilities” where you highlighted that “The EU and Russia need to develop a new conceptual basis for a more sober and functional relationship”. Four years after that paper was published, how has this relationship changed, especially within the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine?
IG: The relationship between Russia and the European Union was already not in good shape at that time. The message in my paper was [addressed] to the European political elites to take a more realistic look at what was going on in Russia at that time. In general, there was a great demand [for] positive news about Russia. Some politicians seemed to neglect facts and realities, as they preferred dealing with information that [portrayed a] positive picture of Russia’s future. [The paper] was about Russia not as a partner anymore for the European Union but more as a source of challenges and threats. In this regard, the European Union and [its] member states should and could take a sober look at Russia - the increase in military expenditures, the militarization of many aspects of life, the increasing pressure on freedoms and liberty, [and] the decreasing role of political opposition and NGOs. Those processes were often disregarded in favor of this “wishful thinking” about Russia.
PM: How do you envision Russia’s future a few years from now? What do you hope that the future of the country looks like?
IG: Frankly speaking, I am not sure if I can answer this question in detail, [but] I see Russia [becoming a] more centralized [and] self-isolated country that combines elements of [a] mafia and totalitarian state. The problem is [that] in Russia the demand for democracy has always been very low. Russia was not a democratic state [for even] a single day in its history [and] we do not have that many reasons to believe that it will become a democratic state in the foreseeable future.
Igor Gretskiy attended the Salzburg Global Pathways to Peace Initiative titled “Bear With Us: What Is To Be Done About Russia?” from October 18 to 21, 2023. This program enabled experts to convene at Salzburg Global Seminar for a high-level dialogue exploring scenarios and questions about what options exist to engage, contain, and hold Russia accountable in a post-war context.