Posted on 07/06/2009 11:12:00 AM PDT by Schnucki
US President Barack Obama made his first mistake in Russia even before he arrived last night. His attempt to cast Vladimir Putin as yesterday's man and to drive a wedge between the Russian Prime Minister and President Dmitry Medvedev demonstrates a misreading of relations in the Kremlin.
Medvedev is in office but not in power and whether he becomes President in more than name depends on Putin's support and intentions. Medvedev may represent a more accommodating face of Russia but this is only because Putin wants him to.
Obama declared on Friday: "I think that it's important that even as we move forward with President Medvedev that Putin understand that the old Cold War approaches to US-Russian relations is outdated ... Putin has one foot in the old ways of doing business and one foot in the new." That suggests Medvedev's outlook differs from that of his mentor despite a lack of evidence. Putin is not known as a bad judge of character and he himself described his successor as "no less a Russian nationalist than I am".
Putin's dominance was evident at the start of last year's war in Georgia, when he directed operations in South Ossetia. Foreign relations are also the responsibility of the President. But Putin has been an active globetrotter and does not hesitate to involve himself in policy.
He told Japanese leaders during a recent visit that Tokyo would have to meet Moscow's terms for a formal peace treaty ending World War II, adding that Medvedev would raise the issue at this week's G8 summit in Italy. Nobody would have dared dictate his presidential agenda for him. One Western diplomat said Putin continued to hold 90 per cent of power. Obama's decision to meet him is an admission that he holds sway and everyone from
(Excerpt) Read more at theaustralian.news.com.au ...
Get a clue, Mr. President.
Putin is a KGB trained veteran power-player. If you want to influence him, go with strength or go home. Niceties mean nothing to him. Medvedev is just a face.
BO is worse than a neophyte.
He’s a complete ZER0!
Obama sure has a way....
Gosh! Barack just tried to show off his geopolitical deviousness!
Move over Machiavelli! I am the Greatest!!
He’s (BO) just showing how ignorant he is.
The Aussies get it......
But then who cares about the EMPTY one now. ALL ATTENTION is focused on Sarah
The man-child POTUS is so out of his league when matched against real adults. The Russians must be dying laughing how easy it is play the narcissistic little boy...
You can see 0 thinking, “But Medvedev is a president. That makes him a king like me...”
We are screwed.
This loser is going to give away the store for nothing.
between his ineptness and the beastly belt we are doomed......today they laugh, tomorrow they make their moves against us with the boyking getting outmaneuvered...
Sarah isn't ready for prime time, but "O" is? I'm speechless at that thought.
vaudine
Medvedev has about as much freedom of action under Putin as Soviet “President” Kalinin had under Stalin, i.e. NONE. These are figurehead jobs. Negotiating with Medvedev makes as much sense as trying to order your KFC from the guy in the chicken suit advertising the restaurant out on the corner.
Putin is a KGB trained veteran power-player. If you want to influence him, go with strength or go home. Niceties mean nothing to him. Medvedev is just a face.
Er, uhm, no. That should be:
Ayers is a KGB-Clinton-trained veteran power-player. If you want to influence him (Ayers), go with strength or go home. Niceties mean nothing to him. Obama is just a face.
The world stage is an area that the these POS democrats have NEVER understood... Obama and his croonies are laughingstocks all over the world as well as the idiots that voted for this guy...
Is Obama the only person in the world who didn't know that Putin and Medvedev fit together like hand and glove... or rather hand and puppet?
Of course he showed his cards too early! He will say of do anything, including give up our security and sovereignty, for that momentary flash of approval he gets from our enemies as he sells us out.
Maybe Palin resigned because she knows that Obama is going to give Alaska back.
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