Skip St. Petersburg, Mr. Bush (G8 Summit)

Washington Post ^ | March 8, 2006 | Anne Applebaum

[RWR8189]

Close your eyes and say it out loud: "G-8." Let the two syllables run across your tongue again: "gee-eight." What images drift into your brain?

If you are like most Americans, I suspect that this simple psychological experiment will produce something like, "stuffy statesmen, boring meeting, prepackaged conclusions." Or maybe, "screaming protesters, riot police, prepackaged slogans." Or even, "turn the page and read something else."

~SNIP~

Perhaps you think it ridiculous to sound so apocalyptic about a meeting that most Americans find too boring to read about. But don't listen to me, listen to Andrei Illarionov, an economic adviser to Putin before he resigned last year in disgust. Illarionov says that Putin invariably returns from G-8 meetings feeling strengthened and empowered in his political course -- and it is true that Putin's opponents have been arrested or put on trial in a summit's wake. He also says the G-8 is taken deadly seriously in Russia, and shrugs when told that Americans don't much care one way or the other. "What is important is not how you, in the U.S., view the G-8. You have to think how your participation will be viewed and used in the world." Nor does it matter that U.S. leaders have always met with Russian dictators, since, to the Russians and to others, this is much different from a bilateral meeting.........

I should explain that Illarionov is in Washington this week for a conference. I should also add that he says he's been surprised by how many people, both here and in Russia, have asked whether he's really returning to Moscow afterward -- "will you dare go back" being a question that no one even considered asking five years ago. It is tragic but true: Russia has once again become a place where blunt-speaking economists have to watch their backs.

 

[bayourant]

That article was disturbing. Its troublesome that we dont have clearer picture of whats happening there. For all the talk about the old MSM it seemed that back then we at least had a picture of what was going on over there. Now Russia and the ukraine dont get mentioned at all

[gogoman]

why is China keyworded? China is not in G8.

[RWR8189]

I didn't add it...

[gogoman]

What's scary is that Putin is very popular in Russia. He has a lot of political capital.

[jecIIny]

The author of this piece is a knave. Like him or not, we NEED Putin in the war on terror. Russia is NOT an enemy of the United States. Our mutual interests are considerable. No, he is not an enlightened liberal. Yes he has thrown his weight around. But he is not the head of the Soviet Union. And Russia has a major problem that we share. Islamo-Fascism. We do not need to be pushing Russia away (and into the arms of China, a nation with whom we do NOT have many mutual interests). The author really needs to take a very basic course in diplomacy. It's all well and fine to preach about the moral high ground. But we have to live in the real world. And in the real world Russia is still a big player. If Bush snubs Vladimir, there will be very real and unpleasant consequences. And the bottom line is that when your the President of the United States you don't always get to pick and choose who you are gonna shake hands with. Russia is not a dictatorship even if it is also not a perfect democracy (show me one of those and I will buy you a steak dinner, after Lent of course). The author really needs to get a grip on reality.

[gogoman]

We do not need to be pushing Russia away (and into the arms of China, a nation with whom we do NOT have many mutual interests).

I disagree... we have far more practical (economic) interests with China than with Russia. Russia could disappear from the face of the planet and it will amount to little disturbance in global economic and political affairs.

[Democratshavenobrains]

I think Putin would rather see the planet dominated by the jihadists than the Americans. Then again, so do most Democrats.

[CowboyJay]

"And Russia has a major problem that we share. Islamo-Fascism."

You feel we should back-off from capitalizing China a bit to improve relations? I've heard that put forward on FR before.

[jecIIny]

No. I think China is the major power in the Far East. It must not be ignored or treated disrespectfully. But it is not a country that we have as many common interests with as Russia. Its also a country where we have a lot more points of possible contention (i.e. Taiwan). Russia by contrast shares a similar cultural background to us and is strategically a more likely ally than China.