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."
"We Russians wished to finish Cold war"
Reminds me of an old story. Back in the cold war the Russians had a car race between an American car and a Russian car. Of course the American car won easily. The next day the Russian papers said "Russian car comes in 2nd, the American car came in 2nd to last."
This is the same kind of spin put on the Russian's wanting to end the cold war. It's all bullsh!t. Russia tried like hell to stay up with Reagan's defence buildup and Russia's economy collapsed because of spending so much money on their defence.
It was a 'REAL Mistake' but you don't remember it, eh?
This sound like happiness for life with Russian bride upon certain condition. Yes? Any bride, for that matter.
US respects human rights, not government thuggery, dictators, elitist regimes. US respect women of other country, if good looking. Men, if good mentality. Your vodka excellent, our beer too. Deal, no deal? Together we watch China like beaver build dam. Dam China, dam dam dam.
10 years - Russia did not threaten the USA, 10 years - Russians did all that you advised us.
The American advisers were in the Russian government.
Mister Soros conducted propagation at schools.
What did you do? Rockets along borders of Russia.
A dirt in press.
A greeting of destruction of the country.
Support of separatists and nationalists.
YOU BROKE ALL OUR CONTRACTS !!!
You accuse us of that that it is not pleasant to us????????????
We Russians wished to finish Cold war
Yea....right.
Do You consider that you have won????
Yep.
Does world become more safe???
It did for us. It would be a lot safer for everyone if you folks learned a little something about the 'rule of law'.
What have you made for 15 years of Your " Pax Americana "?
We're the undisputed biggest, baddest, most powerful nation that's ever been that's what.
Massacre in Yugoslavia.
Thanks for supplying the Serbs with all those Russian made weapons. I'm sure that had nothing to do with the numbers of dead people.
Massacre in Iraq
Thanks for helping to keep Saddam in power all those decades. And most special thanks to helping Iran evade consequences for supplying weapons to terrorists.
I live in the Central Asia, believe me, there you have hopelessly lost the war.
Are we at war with Central Asia? I must have missed a memo or something.
All territory is occupied by a drug mafia, and the NATO militarians sit on the their bases.
Bullshit.
I shall not write about Iraq
Thanks for that. Because just about the last thing we need around here is another foreigner telling us how we've screwed up Iraq. Especially when that foreigner is from a country which conspired with the previous murderous Iraqi government to steal billions of dollars in aid which was supposed to help the Iraqi people.
L
Well dang, somebody over there has to do it.
Dream on, keyboard warrior.
Standard tactic of incompetent politicians facing disaster at home - attack the USA and Pres. Bush.
Welcome to party, comrade. Press greets us with destruction and supports anything non-American. They break our contract (constitution) regularly. We hate them too.
I suppose this isn't an AK-47:
And this couldn't be a Russian T-55 tank:
And there's not a Russian made weapon to be seen in this photo:
Do us a favor Semargl. If you're going to sling bullshit, at least make an effort to do so convincingly. Saying that the Serbs weren't supplied Russian arms is laughably ridiculous.
L
Americans don't want empire. They'd like freedom to be universal and are willing to fight any who'd attack this right to be free. Those 'not-free' appear to us as subjects of forces that oppose freedom, something we, ourselves, would not tolerate.
The natural condition of man is not to be a slave, thus, our intolerance. The countries (peoples) you've mentioned only have time, before their little 'empires' crumble in the face of freedom. Give it time. Besides, we're fighting slavery here at home each and every election. Pray for us. But don't pray too hard, looks like you guys could use it more.
This is very old weapon. Made in the USSR. Unfortunately Russia not gave up to Serbia the new arms. Otherwise annexation of Kosovo would not pass so without blood for NATO.
Well .. that would explain where all the money Russia is getting from their nuke plant help has gone to
You want to carry freedom ? Ask us before - Are we wanting Such freedom?
"We don't want such "freedom" like in Iraq" (C)
I think that "democracy" the same Utopia as well as communism.
The idea is good but to make it - ! impossible !.
Do you read "Tomas Moro - Utopia" ?
It's not that big a deal - no one in Asia will take those C-notes anyway. They just laugh at you.
Uh huh.
So they're old Russian weapons. You still gave them to them.
Otherwise annexation of Kosovo would not pass
Who exactly is it that's 'annexing' Kosovo?
L
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