Part II: National Motivations
Moving from international policy to national, the remainder of this chapter illustrates the variety and complexity of US national interests coupled to the Gore – Chernomyrdin agreements. It introduces the reader to the perceived doldrums the Space Station Freedom had fallen into, the financial savings at first anticipated by ISS reorganization, criticisms and concerns as voiced by Congressional representatives wary of various elements of ISS collaboration. The subsection “On Being More Equal” illustrates alternative trajectories that the ISS partnership may have taken when Russian partners (and Energia in particular) raised questions of national autonomy. The final sections address the linkages between US national security and Russian defense industries, including other motivations for trade liberalization.