Is Russia resurgent or just misunderstood?

It seems to be a combination of both.

This week, the Russian Duma is scheduled to meet in Moscow, where deputies are due to debate Russia's withdrawal from the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty. That, along with the country's threats to redirect missiles to target Europe and the recent resumption of patrols by Russian bombers, has echoes of the Cold War. Moscow's aggressive rhetoric has compounded its actions, with Russia's highest-ranking officials openly accusing the United States of conducting a reckless and dangerous foreign policy.

President Vladimir Putin's harsh words in the infamous Munich speech in February came as a big disappointment to Western governments, and led many to conclude that Russia and the West had reached a nadir in their post-1990 relations. Yet Putin's complaints and criticism are aimed at re-establishing Russia's 'worth'. This has two elements:

• Russia seeks to rebuild its reputation as a great power with a global reach. Strategic aviation flights to the remote island of Guam in the Pacific and over the North Sea aim to show that Russia is still very much in the game. Yet Russia has also been quick to assure the world that its patrol bombers are not carrying nuclear weapons. This indicates that Moscow is walking tightrope between re-establishing itself as an important international player and alienating its Western partners.
• Russia's behaviour is also motivated by fear and a sense of vulnerability. US plans to station radars and interceptor missiles in Central and Eastern Europe are a cause of genuine concern to Moscow policymakers. They see it as targeting Russia, not Iran, and will be prepared to devote considerable economic resources to rebuilding Russia's military capacity. The construction of several radars on Russian territory -- to compensate for the facilities lost in Ukraine and Latvia following the Soviet collapse -- and the announced launching of production of the Bulava nuclear missile from 2008, reportedly capable of penetrating any missile shield, are testimony to these fears.

This combination of insecurity and pride, trying to leave behind the humiliating 1990s -- when Russia was a destitute former superpower -- will continue to drive Russia's international behaviour beyond the 2008 presidential election. Western ability to show greater understanding of Russia's insecurities would contribute to global and European stability.