Posted on 05/31/2007 10:38:46 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
MOSCOW (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin issued an acerbic warning Thursday to the United States, saying the recent test of a new Russian missile was a direct response to US actions and condemning "imperialism" in world affairs.
"Our American partners have quit the ABM Treaty," Putin told reporters after meeting his Greek counterpart, referring to the landmark 1972 US-Soviet treaty limiting the missile defenses of the Cold War superpower foes.
"We warned them then that we would come out with a response to maintain the strategic balance in the world. Yesterday we conducted a test of a new strategic ballistic missile with multiple warheads, and of a new cruise missile, and will continue to improve our resources."
The United States informed Russia in 2001 that it was exercising its option to withdraw unilaterally from the Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) pact. It has since stepped up controversial plans, fiercely opposed by Russia, to deploy a missile defence shield in eastern Europe.
Putin warned Wednesday that the US missile defense plan would turn Europe into a "powder keg" and he repeated on Thursday previous assertions that the planned deployments would ignite a new Cold War-style arms buildup.
"We are not the initiators of this new round of the arms race," Putin said.
The Russian president's comments came a week before he meets US President George W. Bush and other leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations at a summit in Germany.
He is also scheduled to hold one-on-one talks with Bush in the United States at the beginning of July.
In a thinly disguised attack on US foreign policy in recent years, Putin warned there had been attempts by actors -- he did not name any country or bloc explicitly -- in international affairs to impose their will on others.
"In our view, it is nothing other than diktat, than imperialism," the Russian leader stated.
"Problems have arisen because the world changed and there was an attempt to make it unipolar. There was a desire among several international actors to dictate their will to each and everyone and to act not in accordance with the norms of international life and law," Putin said.
He added: "This is very dangerous and unhealthy. The norms of international law have been altered for political expediency. What is this political expediency and who defines it?"
Tensions between Russia and the United States have risen dramatically in the past year amid sharpening differences over the US missile plans, the state of democracy in Russia and concerns over energy supplies.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice repeated on Wednesday the US assertion that the planned missile defense system in eastern Europe poses no threat to Russia and that Moscow's concern over it is "ludicrous."
Her Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, countered at a meeting of G8 foreign ministers outside Berlin that "there is nothing ludicrous about this issue because the arms race is starting again."
Truman should have listened to Patton and blown their a**es off the face of the earth when we had the chance.
Putin could counter imperialism by shutting down the Kremlin, and getting rid of all the Soviet and Russian Imperial symbols.
And failing that, he should have listened to MacArthur instead of firing him. We had B-36s overflying the USSR, untouchable by early SAMs and MiGs. B-36s actually had higher effective operational cielings.
Isn’t this saber rattling due to an election coming up pretty soon? I thought I had read that the Russian people want to hear that their leaders are playing tough with the U.S.
It's the fact that the USA is absolutely anti-imperialist that has you foaming at the mouth. The idea that the US would dare to curtail Russia's imperialism by helping smaller countries defend themselves is simply maddening to you, isn't it? ...Pootie?
Their paranoia is also projection. They want to be the imperial nation they once were, but cannot.
"Dangerous, Demented and Armed" pretty much sum up Russia.
Exactly. That would’ve been the end of the stupid communists.
Privately, if Bush is anywhere near the kind of leader many of us have given him credit for, he is telling Putin that if he wishes to escalate into another ‘cold war’ we will bury him. The public response should be a vehement reminder to the world that the US is a champion of freedom, and that countries that stifle alternative opinions, such as the old USSR, the current regime in Iran, and even the ‘new’ Russia under some of the recent policies of the Putin government are the biggest threat as agents of imperialism. I can hardly believe sometimes how inept our elected officials are. I know they don’t represent the brightest of society, but come on, they have to be capable of more than what wer’re seeing. Aren’t they?
No, we didn't.
All this "empire" rhetoric rings increasingly hollow...
And what arms race would Russia be qualified to enter? How many missiles can they build before their economy implodes - 2? 3? I think it's all they can afford just to track down their defected spies, past and yet to come. We could probably neutralize this threat just by offering guest worker visas and time shares in Cabo to anyone currently working in their missile programs.
Putie, Putie, Putie Putie.
Jorge El Segundo said he could TRUST you!!!! Why are you being so NAUGHTY??
Empty rhetoric : )
Ciphered, Democrats are a majority and a "lame duck" is in charge so I can beat my chest.
However, few have ever caught my eye in my lifetime.
John Howard and Lee Kuan Yew are the only two I can think of who have been consistent, and REALLY tried to do good for the people they represent.
could you imagine if patton lived and ran with lemay...
Fortunate only if it happens before we (the USA) PC ourselves to death.
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