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 ...
Ah, but why would NATO be a threat to a Russian democracy?
I could see if we were talking about the 'soviet union' but that is not the supposed case any longer. Well at least some claim there is a change of heart.
Putin has visions of becoming a superpower once again and the only way he appears to see that as possible is to prop up all those who are enemies to democracy. In other words enemies to the US.
Check out the Shtora system on the T-90s (which are pretty good tanks all around, not as good as ours but world class none the less). The BMP-3 is the best IFV in the world, why the UAE dumped the Bradly for it. They have lost of good equipment. Underestimating it is hubris. Your judgement would be the same as if British Challengers defended M-60A1s and a bunch of M-48s driven by Fidjins and that was seen as a huge accomplishment.
Ok, so why haven't we asked them to join us, instead of just surrounding them?
Not for a moment. They as a people are poisoned goods.
Think space based weapons.
"I could see if we were talking about the 'soviet union' but that is not the supposed case any longer. Well at least some claim there is a change of heart."
You make good points, but it simply isn't in russian interest to have the US and the west playing increasingly large roles in their traditional spheres of influence. Just like people would be flipping out here if China or Russia started playing a signifigant role in a mexican election problem, or get venezuela in a common-defense pact (not totally absurd given chavez), no russian with any sense is going to see US action in eastern europe as being in their interests. There is simply no living memory or tradition in russia of Ukraine deciding anything about its fate separate from the czar or party.
I don't think the US wants a strong russia or strong russian government, period. There are tremendous resources in russia that are or may come under western control (a great interest to US multinationals), and the Yukos confiscation was one example designed to nationalize a strategic asset before it is majority owned by non-russians, if it wasn't already. It certainly is a warning to anyone looking to take over russian resources.
Some comment on russia working with china on resource sales, weapons, etc, but 1) china will be the largest economy in the world at some point and it is inane to expect russia to not try to do business there despite potential use of said assets against themselves later (we do do the same giving china through companies like Loral and Hughes tech. to help them nuke us), and
2) Who is the US to say anything about NOT doing business with china with our 160B$+ trade deficit with them?
Stalin just called....he said "Good Post comrade"
Your points about the present saudi government are taken as well. It is a shame they have all that oil....
Good points. THere is a great disconnect between the current state of the Russian military and the quality of russian military tech which many here aren't clear on.
Unless anti-missle systems that can targets objects 3 meters above sea level in a matter of seconds from detection are developed (presumably laser-based/space based), the Sunburn heralds the beginning of the end of the age of the carrier.
He looks exactly like what he is. KGB
Once KGB, always KGB.........
He looks like a rodent.
We haven't even tried out the E-bomb yet. What guidance system ??
This is the brilliance of GWBush. He is willing to look like an idiot in front people. He doesn't care who gets the credit. He gets results.
Uhmmm, it was pooty who looked like he swallowed a frog today not Bush.
North Korea didn't have a nuclear weapon 40 years ago. What exactly did you want us to do with them in the last 4 decades.......just juke 'em off the face of the earth?
That's about as smart as the media calling Bush monkey boy. You're hitting their level and sinking.
All this helps in the long run is the democrats, but the knee jerk Cold War reject instinct gets in the way of common sense of to many Republicans. But hay, it'll only be 4 years of Hildabeast or maybe 40, nothing toooo bad. /sarcasm
Russians are up to thier old tricks of destablizing South America, arming islamic mullah nutcases and allowing their nuclear weapons to conviently disappear so no one can blame them when they go off in some city. We should trust Putin as far as we can throw him.
Excuse me, but I don't recall having addressed you concerning Pakistan or anything else you've mentioned. Have I missed something?
I wish you luck when you feel the cold emptiness of his stockade comrade.
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