Posted on 02/11/2007 7:08:38 PM PST by blam
US hits back after Putin tirade
By Adrian Blomfield in Moscow
Last Updated: 2:31am GMT 12/02/2007
The United States and Russia were locked in a bitter war of words yesterday as officials reacted furiously to a speech by Vladimir Putin that represented the most ferocious attack on US policy by a Russian leader since the Cold War.
Although Mr Gates sought to cool some of the angry rhetoric flying between the two former Cold War adversaries by describing Russia as a "partner", he added: "We wonder too about some Russian policies that seem to work against international stability such as its arms transfers and its temptation to use energy resources for political coercion."
President Vladimir Putin speaking at the Conference on Security Policy in Munich
The comments, echoed by officials across the US political spectrum, came a day after astonished delegates listened to an unprecedented tirade from the Russian leader that was at times reminiscent of Nikita Khrushchev's shoe-banging rhetoric.
Reflecting the growing chill in relations between the two countries, Mr Putin accused the United States of trying to subjugate the world and termed its policy in the Middle East as "unilateral and frequently illegitimate."
"Today we are witnessing an almost uncontained hyper-use of military force in international relations that is plunging the world into an abyss of permanent conflict," he said.
"The United States has overstepped its national borders in every way. This is extremely dangerous. It results in the fact that no-one feels safe because no-one can feel that international law is like a stone wall that can protect them." While many of the assembled European politicians may have secretly agreed with Mr Putin's feelings on America's invasion of Iraq, fear of Russia's democratic trajectory and growing energy might united delegates in condemnation of the speech.
Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt said the West had to accept that Mr Putin's speech represented "the real Russia of today". His Czech counterpart, Karel Schwazenburg, said the speech showed "clearly and convincingly" why Nato had been right to expand into eastern Europe.
The Nato secretary general, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, also condemned the speech.
Mr Gates, a former CIA officer, tried to put Mr Putin's comments down to the Russian president's KGB background.
"I guess old spies have a habit of blunt speaking," he said. "However I've been to re-education camp," — a jibe that won approving laughter and applause from the audience. "One Cold War was quite enough."
For weeks, the Kremlin had indicated that Mr Putin would make a key foreign policy statement at the conference. Foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko said last week that Mr Putin was going to outline "his vision of the place and role of Russia in the present day world". And while the tenor of Mr Putin's speech may have caused outrage, it has hardly caused surprise.
Relations with both Europe and the United States have been deteriorating as a newly assertive Russia, buoyed by booming energy prices, has shaken off the post-Soviet malaise of the 1990s.
Western criticism has mounted as Mr Putin curtailed freedoms in Russia and imposed economic punishments on ex-Soviet neighbours who had pursued a pro-Western course.
In return the Kremlin is particularly angered by US plans to move missiles into eastern Europe. While Washington insists that the missiles are directed at the growing threat of Iran and North Korea, the Kremlin is convinced they are directed at Russia.
Last week, hawkish defence minister Sergei Ivanov, seen as a possible successor of Mr Putin when he stands down next year, announced an eight-year £100 billion military upgrade. Defence spending has quadrupled since Mr Putin came to power.
But western diplomats argued yesterday that Mr Putin's speech reflected as much weakness as it did strength.
Russia's military hardware is largely rusting and, even though the Kremlin may be trying to develop new missiles, it has lost the nuclear race.
"Putin's speech was in part impotent rage," said a Western diplomat. "He's a strong believer that the Cold War principle of Mutually Assured Destruction made the world a safer place." "When he railed against a unipolar world, he was essentially acknowledging that for the first time in 50 years the United States has reached nuclear primacy."
Liked the US' response -- "we don't want another Cold War with Russia." Like it could happen and reminding Putin how well the last Cold War went for the Soviet Union (Russia).
After working in Moscow for several years, a friend is leaving and coming back to the US. He says the business environment there is imploding.
Putin, we didn't start the war in the middle east, but we will finish it. Call it whatever you want. We've got crazy jihadists blowing our stuff up...here and abroad.
Vlad, maybe should blow off some steam by poisoning a few more spies, Loser.
Putin may be well enough aggrandized of his full self that he thinks that co-opting Russia's oil reserves, sucking up to Iran, and selling small nuclear arms has him regaining the title of "Czar".
But, there is not one nation that would support him in a checkmate.
Russia has no money, no will, and zero credibility, no matter what they try to buy.
Dealing with the Mudslimes will eventually lead them to disaster, Just as it will for all of us!
Oil wealth is a poison to developing economies. The incentive for incentive vanishes.
Oh, don't I wish!
They've opened up weakness in the superpower...any other competing power is naturally going to take whatever advantage is there to take when the dominant power has a crisis of confidence, division or disruption. The Democrats, in their obsession for power and control, have given that to both our enemies and our competitors. So Putin takes advantage of it and tries to enhance it by jumping on. We should expect that, everyone's going to have at us...that's why the Democrats are so damned destructive to US.
It's classic: The Democrats would rather rule in hell than serve in heaven.
these do seem to be interesting times.
Corruption or government shakedowns or all of the above?
"Oil wealth is a poison to developing economies. The incentive for incentive vanishes."
He was doing extremely well until last year. He even met once with Putin. Now there is street talk of a new cold war or worse. Upper management from the West are leaving Russia to return to the US or Europe. Apparently businesses are collapsing because of it.
"Corruption or government shakedowns or all of the above?"
Payoffs have been going on for a long time. That has been part of doing business there. My friend something new is happening based on Putin's anti-west rhetoric that is causing US and European investors and employees to begin a pull out.
Another good reason to collapse the oil markets with domestic production. If it is even possible.
Does he think we've all forgotten the history of the Soviet Union? Now there was a nation that would overstep its borders. The fool.
MR PUTIN HAS NEVER GOTTEN OVER THE DEFEAT IN
AFGHANISTAN WHERE US SUCCEEDS. NOW HE IS MORE
AGGRAVATED SINCE THE SURGE MAY DO THE SAME IN
IRAQ. I HAVE A FEELING THE SURGE MIGHT SUCCEED
AFTER OBSERVING PUTIN'S TIRADE.
Good idea to do that anyway. It would drive the North Koreans nuts also.
I suspect Iraq has been getting some sweet sale prices on shoulder fired missiles.
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