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Analysis: Putin humiliated next to Bush
Washington Times (UPI) ^ | 2/24/2005 | Robin Shepherd

Posted on 02/24/2005 2:04:23 PM PST by wjersey

Bratislava, Slovakia, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- We may not yet be talking about divorce but the extended honeymoon period between U.S President George W. Bush and his increasingly autocratic Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin came to a definitive end Thursday at a summit between the two leaders in the Slovak capital of Bratislava.

It all happened following the end of bilateral talks when a televised press conference turned into a relentless and devastating assault on Putin's backsliding on democratic reform.

Since global democratization has been made the centerpiece of Bush's second term foreign policy agenda, analysts and politicians in the United States and elsewhere had billed this meeting as the first key test of the American president's credibility.

As Russia analysts James M. Goldgeier and Michael McFaul had put it in a commentary in the current issue of the Weekly Standard:

"If the president neglects to affirm his commitment to freedom with Putin at his side, Bush will be signaling that his words don't count."

So most of us were expecting the issue to be raised, if only in passing.

But no one could have been prepared for what was about to unfold.

While observing diplomatic niceties, President Bush's opening remarks included a pointedly blunt statement of his concern that Russia was not fulfilling "fundamental" democratic principles.

And this was nothing to what President Putin was forced to endure in the subsequent questions, every single one of which focused on democracy.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: bratislava; bush43; euvisit; putin; slovakia; summit
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To: jagrmeister

I wouldn't say our position on Korea or Iran are cowering. Discretion is the better part of valor.....go through all the regular channels first like diplomacy and then when it doesn't work, use force........no one in their right mind would opt for force as a first option.......


41 posted on 02/24/2005 2:29:41 PM PST by NorCalRepub
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To: bahblahbah

You pick your battles wisely with regard to China. They have billions of people there, each and everyone of them can catch the fever for liberty as well as anyone.

This is not a matter of who is the toughest. We clearly could take out every country on the planet right now milatarily. But that is obviously an insane option. Diplomacy works once you've given out some @ss whupping.

"Now watch this drive."


42 posted on 02/24/2005 2:29:52 PM PST by nikos1121
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To: jimbo123

Ah yes, sometimes pictures speak volumes.
I wonder how Putin would feel if we announced that we would like to provide Chechnya with nuclear power.


43 posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:12 PM PST by Chena
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To: John Lenin
Poor Pootie-Poot.
44 posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:23 PM PST by silverleaf (Fasten your seat belts- it's going to be a BUMPY ride.)
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To: wjersey

Sounds like a short term gain and a long term loss. Can't Bush praise publicly and criticize in private? My guess is Russia will be a swing in the next world war -- and it's better if they're on our side.


45 posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:28 PM PST by GOPJ (Liberals haven't had a new idea in 40 years.)
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To: NorCalRepub

I couldn't say it better.


46 posted on 02/24/2005 2:30:58 PM PST by nikos1121
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To: chemainus

You are nuts, this guy hasn't backed down to anyone, he has them all wondering what his next move is going to be. We keep making mince meat of Russian military equipment, training and brainpower. The Chinese aren't even in Russia's league yet.


47 posted on 02/24/2005 2:31:56 PM PST by John Lenin (Homing in , this guy has a string attached to him and he don't know it yet)
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To: jagrmeister

It is believed that Russia has the worlds largest petroleum reserves. Bush would want to alienate Putin in the face of this for what reason?


48 posted on 02/24/2005 2:32:13 PM PST by JoeV1
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To: chemainus

What is it you propose, General?


49 posted on 02/24/2005 2:32:30 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: nikos1121

You may not be able to spell, but you can think .... unlike some people.


50 posted on 02/24/2005 2:33:10 PM PST by altura (tolerance is an overrated virtue.)
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To: nikos1121
Hold on here, I'm not talking about going to war. I'm talking about actually responding to the daily stupid threats and orwellian double talk coming from the Chinese every day. The Chinese will be very slow to asking for true democratic reforms because they desire power over freedom.
51 posted on 02/24/2005 2:33:36 PM PST by bahblahbah
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To: wjersey
Putin had to field a lot of pointed references to a building monarchy, but I thought he handled it in a average way. Bush tried to back him up at one point.

Putin's justifications were that rich and powerful men were successfully manipulating elections and that measures were taken to prevent it. Also that those measure were in compliance with democracy.

My take is that a country needs to pas laws to contain this particular problem, not limit speech or use appointments rather than elections for regional governors.

At one time, we appointed Senators. But governors have always been elected.

He could also break up some of these provinces into smaller pieces.

Lots of other options available. Get the Duma to do something, and quit grabbing more and more power Mr.Putin.

52 posted on 02/24/2005 2:33:44 PM PST by Cold Heat (What are fears but voices awry?Whispering harm where harm is not and deluding the unwary. Wordsworth)
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To: chemainus

Putin is arming Iran with nuclear material. The Russians are not our allies and will be extremely happy the day Iran tests a nuclear bomb since they know one of the Iranian nukes will eventually find its way to a major U.S. city.


53 posted on 02/24/2005 2:35:02 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: JoeV1

Don't believe the title. Read what Bush said in the transcript.


54 posted on 02/24/2005 2:35:43 PM PST by MEG33 (GOD BLESS OUR ARMED FORCES)
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To: Chena

Putin: "Nukes OK for Iran. Nukes not OK for Chechnya."


55 posted on 02/24/2005 2:37:09 PM PST by jimbo123
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To: jagrmeister
We are engaged in a confrontation with China.

You just will not see it.

It is how we deal with the Chi-coms and Bush has really taken them on.

This is why Gates and other are out in force against Bush policy, and why there will be more coming.

56 posted on 02/24/2005 2:41:54 PM PST by Cold Heat (What are fears but voices awry?Whispering harm where harm is not and deluding the unwary. Wordsworth)
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To: jimbo123


"Putin: "Nukes OK for Iran. Nukes not OK for Chechnya."

Bush: Nukes not OK for Iran, Nukes OK for Chechnya.


57 posted on 02/24/2005 2:42:53 PM PST by Chena
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To: John Lenin; jagrmeister; NorCalRepub
I doubt that Bush kicked Putin's a## behind closed doors. There's a lot going on in the world these days besides Bush's push for Democracy. Bush may have told Putin about some new intelligence indicating that Iran is much more hostile towards the western world than Putin thought. Putin is boxed in here on Iran--he doesn't want to pull out of Russia's nuclear deal with Iran because that would be unpopular in Russia, but his nuclear support for Iran is becoming a major diplomatic problem with the West. Just yesterday, Bush and Schroeder made a joint statement about the need to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons. So Putin may just be feeling boxed in on this Iran deal with no good options available to him.

In addition, Putin lost badly on the Ukrainian election and ended up looking bad in Europe and America. So I don't think Bush is pounding on him behind closed doors. Instead, Putin has some big problems to solve and tough decisions to make and this situation is giving him that grim demeanor he showed today. He also looked tired and a little tense.

58 posted on 02/24/2005 2:43:51 PM PST by carl in alaska (Blog blog bloggin' on heaven's door.....Kerry is a liar and rotten to the core)
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To: jagrmeister

I don't think you are looking at the bigger picture. Russia is arming Syria, and is doing so publicly. You can bet Putin has been warned and spurned it. We drew a line in the sand nad he crossed it. Now he gets a trip to the woodshed. All very measured and predictable. It is up to Putin now to manage his power by consolidating domestically. THAT's dimplomacy.


59 posted on 02/24/2005 2:45:22 PM PST by frithguild (Hypocrisy so pervasive their very description is a contradiction - Liberals fear liberty.)
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To: carl in alaska

Intelligent analysis there, carl in alaska, I concur.


60 posted on 02/24/2005 2:45:57 PM PST by Chena (chena in alaska)
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