Editorial: The New York Times

• In the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, a fervent debate was held in the US Embassy in Moscow about the path post-Soviet Russia should take.
• The free-market reforms were strongly backed by the economic section of the embassy and the US Treasury Department, believing that democracy would follow.
• Political advisers argued that this type of 'shock therapy' would only worsen the already devastating dislocation Russians were experiencing.
• E. Wayne Merry, chief political analyst in the embassy and critic of shock therapy, outlined a detailed argument against it.
• Merry's telegram was not forgotten and recently managed to be published by the National Security Archive.
• US relations with Russia are at their worst since the Cold War.
• The restoration of Russian authority, aggression, and hostility towards the West is largely Putin's fault, but we also cannot ignore the arrogance and assumptions of the Americans.
• Looking back at these debates, the agonizing transition of Russia in the 90s is vividly portrayed.

Conclusion: It is crucial to remember the consequences of pushing harmful advice onto foreign nations, such as the US did in Russia, as they can result in significant harm to the nations in question and to one’s own nation’s interests and standing.

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