Experts Hope U.S-Russia Summit Will Bring Change To U.S Foreign Policy

As the July 6th thru 8th US-Russia Summit draws nearer, a plethora of foreign affairs and Russian experts gathered on Wednesday at the Heritage Foundation to discuss the likelihood that the summit produces changes in America’s policies towards Russia. Several panelists agreed that the meeting should lead to the reestablishment of disabled ties between the two states.

Former National Intelligence Council Chairman Fritz Ermath said “the Obama administration is trying to improve U.S-Russian relations from their worst or chilliest since the Cold War.”

President Barack Obama will be visiting Russia next week as part of a series of trips abroad. The administration’s meeting with the Russian government should include discussions on the renewal of START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty), ratified by Russia and the United States in 1991 to achieve a dramatic reduction in strategic forces. The treaty also brought Georgia into NATO.

Ermath explained that “as was the case in the Cold War today, U.S policy-making for Russia should be informed by the deepest possible understanding of Russia as a system, as a country, as a state, as a culture. During the Cold War, we devoted enormous resources to the Soviet Union, comprehensively, not just militarily, and that investment payed off.”

“Our understanding of Russia is weaker than it should be. This is partly because its a confusing reality. Russia doesn’t get the attention it deserves in academic, think tank, and government analytical circles. other priorities have taken over the funding,” he added.

But, according to Ariel Cohen, Senior Research Fellow of Russian and Eurasian Studies, progress between the two nations on the issue of weapons is being impeded by past tensions.

“Arms control is at the heart of historically the U.S soviet relationship and now Us-Russia relationship,” Cohen said.

Fritz Ermath said “the Obama administration is trying to improve U.S-Russian relations from their worst or chilliest since the Cold War...... Our understanding of Russia is weaker than it should be. This is partly because its a confusing reality. Russia doesn’t get the attention it deserves in academic, think tank, and government analytical circles. other priorities have taken over the funding,” he added.

Question #1 for obamaites: How hard is RUSSIA trying to improve relations? I mean, since invading Georgia last summer and all...

Question #2) Are you saying that our former National Security Advisor and Sec State Condoleeza Rice (a Russian expert) did not provide any “understanding” of Russia in our previous administration’s policies?

Question #3)If priorities “shifted away” from Russia- what role did the US congress play in this decision? What about China? Islamic terrorism? Nuclear proliferation? Exactly what IS our top priority, FRITZ?

I hope nothing more happens...

Event was today;

The Obama-Medvedev U.S.-Russia Summit: Facing Reality, Protecting U.S. Interests

****************************EXCERPT****************************

Host(s):

The Heritage Foundation
Details:
President Barack Obama will visit Russia on July 6-8, 2009, to meet with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. Arms control will be at the top of the agenda as the two countries have pledged to draft a new treaty to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) that expires in December. The new agreement will set the stage for further cuts and serve as a stepping stone to including all nuclear weapons states in the future. The two presidents will explore cooperation over Afghanistan – the only area where the two sides have a fundamental agreement, despite Russian pressure to force the U.S. Air Force from the Manas Air base in Kyrgyzstan. Moscow continues to demand the revision of the global economic and security architectures, including development of global or regional reserve currencies, the halt of NATO enlargement to Ukraine and Georgia, and putting in check U.S. and European relations with Russia’s ex-Soviet neighborhood. Meanwhile, the Russian leadership is struggling in the face of a grave financial crisis, with no end in sight. The Obama Administration has hinted at a “grand bargain” with Moscow that would involve the scaling back of U.S. European missile defense deployment in exchange for Russian cooperation on Iran. Recently, Russia has released a new national security strategy that posits continual confrontation with the United States and NATO. What are America’s strategic objectives in the arms control talks with Russia? Will President Obama ignore the deeper issues at stake in Russia’s business relations, such as the rule of law? Join us for a discussion on the upcoming summit and U.S.-Russia bilateral relations. In addition to our panel of U.S.-based experts, the view from Moscow will be delivered by prominent analysts of Russian affairs via satellite link.

Russian experts that have been around since the stone age are a dime a dozen. Think tanks in DC have scores of them available to present talks on the fly. This bull shit that we don't give adequate audience to the clowns in the Kremlin is baloney in my opinion.
Beyond that. Just what does zero and the State Department hope to really accomplish other then reducing nuclear weapons.
There are those in Russia that are insistent that Russia start cutting back on foreign investments and imports and start to create their own full spectrum industry and economy from an internal stand point. In which case, what can the US offer them that would appease them, other then bowing down before them.

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