Russia slams failure of U.S. "unipolar" policies

reuters.com ^ | September 28, 2008 | Patrick Markey

[Tailgunner Joe]

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday said U.S. "unipolar" policies had failed in Iraq and Afghanistan and helped provoke the recent conflict in Georgia.

Russia's invasion of Georgia last month has brought relations with the United States to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

In a strongly worded speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Lavrov called the U.S.-led war in Iraq a "painful blow" to global anti-terrorism efforts and questioned the NATO-led force fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

He described U.S. foreign policy as "unipolar" meaning that Washington regarded itself as the world's sole superpower, able to act without regard to the views of others.

"The illusion of a unipolar world confused many," Lavrov said. "In exchange for total loyalty they expected to receive a carte blanche to resolve all their problems."

Washington and European allies condemned Russia when it invaded Georgia after Tbilisi tried to re-establish control over the breakaway region of South Ossetia, which has now declared independence along with another enclave, Abkhazia. ...

The Bush administration would like to bring Georgia and Ukraine into NATO. Both border Russia and were part of the former Soviet Union and previously of the Russian empire.

"All countries have partners with whom they share traditional friendly relations, common history and geography," Lavrov said in an apparent assertion that Russia has a geographic sphere of interest.

"It is harmful to artificially undermine these relationships for the benefit of geopolitical schemes."

[GodGunsGuts]

...

[LibertyRocks]

As opposed to Bi-Polar? ;)

[Tailgunner Joe]

Russia Aspiration for Multi-Polarity Nostalgia for Ussr' - French Ambassador - MOSCOW. Sept 26 (Interfax) - Russia's aspiration to establish a multi-polar world order looks like nostalgia for the bipolar world, which is an erroneous ideology, French Ambassador to Russia Stanislas de Laboulaye said. "Today Russia insists on a multi-polar world. This echoes positively, including in our country. But this aspiration for multi- polarity resembles the nostalgia for the bipolar world. Europe can clearly view its place in a new structure," de Laboulaye told the fifth convention of the Russian Association of International Studies at the MGIMO-University. "There is an impression that Russia would like measure its strength with the United States," the ambassador said. Bipolarity "is an erroneous ideology" and would involve "regression," he said. "The provoked Caucasian crisis marks a new quality of the international situation and Russia's place on the international arena. The myth of unipolar world is being broken," Russian First Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov said.

[LibertyRocks]

In all seriousness these Neo-Soviets could care less about the GWOT. After all, they are the ones helping our enemies. I only hope our true allies - especially those formerly captive countries in Europe will stand strong against the Neo-Soviet Union. Our only real hope is to get McCain elected. If Obama gets in the White House he will roll over, and that will be it. The Neo-Soviets, and China will take our place in the world, and Freedom as we know it will be gone.

[givemELL]

All international relationships are the result of the give and take of ‘geopoliltical schemes’. The Russians play intense ‘geopolitical chess’ at all times. We need Presidents who can play chess too. Not checkers. McCain can play chess compared to the other guy. The other guy and party can only play the limited game of Saul Alinsky, whose gameplan is published and never varies....its’ only dogma you know, a low form of checkers.

[LibertyRocks]

From the article you linked in post #4:

“Russia’s foreign policy is based on balance. Confrontation is not our choice, and if our partners are not ready for cooperative actions, Russia will have to react independently in order to protect its national interests, but always within the framework of the international law,” Denisov said.

Ahhh... here we get the gist of the Neo-Soviet position. Either “cooperate” with us or we will “react independently” (ie - use military force). As for the last comment of “international law”. SURE... That’s what they did when they invaded Georgia, right? They could care less about “international law”. Putin has even said as much, and their actions prove they won’t.

I truly think Georgia was merely a test run. Seeing as they didn’t face any retaliation in any real sense of the word, I believe they are merely setting the stage for their next big advance. If there is one thing that the Neo-Soviets are NOT lacking it’s confidence in themselves. Along with the return of the whole Soviet mindset comes its pitfalls as well (i.e. over-confidence). One can only hope that the rest of the world is taking notice, but I’m not holding my breath.

[Quiller]

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday said U.S. "unipolar" policies had failed in Iraq and Afghanistan and helped provoke the recent conflict in Georgia.

Oh, well there you have it . . . it's the fault of the U.S. that the Russians invaded Georgia.

That should make good grist for the liberal "everyone hates the U.S. because our foreign policies just aren't sensitve" angst mill.

[Quiller]

. . . Lavrov called the U.S.-led war in Iraq a "painful blow" to global anti-terrorism efforts and questioned the NATO-led force fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Yep. Those global anti-terrorism efforts that were working so darned well up to 9/11/01.

If a couple of planes had been flown into the Kremlin, their whining would have a different pitch.

. . . Washington regarded itself as the world's sole superpower, able to act WHEN NECESSARY without regard to WAITING FOR the views PERMISSION of others.

Russia has said it responded to Georgian aggression.

Yeah, those mean Georgians, picking on nice little KGB-driven Russia. THEY DESERVED IT!

"All countries have partners with whom they share traditional friendly relations, common history and geography," . . . "It is harmful to artificially undermine these relationships for the benefit of geopolitical schemes."

What a lot of people don't realize is that many average Russians talk politics like many average Americans talk sports. To them, dallying around geopolitically is about as natural as breathing.