In recent years, Russian relations with the West have suffered many setbacks. In the West, Vladimir Putin is often reproached for resurrecting authoritarianism, reversing democratization inside the country, using violent methods in settling the situation in Chechnya, and for attempting to turn the post-Soviet space into a zone of Moscow’s influence. It is a commonly held belief in Russian political circles that Western countries are taking an unfair stance toward Russia by seeking to oust it from a region where it has security interests, and to impede the process of Moscow’s integration into Western structures. Despite sharp rhetoric, the process of Russia’s rapprochement with the West continues; Russia is preparing to join the WTO, the energy dialogue is developing, the Russia–NATO Council continues to function, and cooperation between Russia and the USA is growing in the fields of combating terrorism, strengthening strategic stability and countering the proliferation of WMD. Disagreements intensified when Russia and Western countries supported different candidates during the Ukrainian elections, and accused each other of intervening in the internal politics of another state. The West has also criticized Russia for not making the necessary efforts to restore the territorial integrity of certain CIS states, and the US and Israel have expressed concern over cooperation between Russia and Iran in the field of nuclear energy. In addition, the US is also alarmed by Moscow’s intention to sell anti-aircraft missile systems to Syria. However, there is also plenty of scope in the future for the development of relations between Russia and Europe.