Posted on 05/04/2006 1:02:21 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
MOSCOW — Russian officials and diplomats reacted angrily Thursday to a summit of former Soviet republics and allies where U.S. criticized Moscow for backtracking on freedom and bullying its neighbors.
Deputy Foreign Minister Grigory Karasin voiced annoyance about the fact that Russia hadn't been invited to the conference of Baltic and Black Sea Fleet ex-Soviet nations and Moscow's former Warsaw Pact allies.
"We would like to see Russia figure at the summit as an important positive factor of global politics, not as an object for scrutiny," Karasin told reporters.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Oh boo-hoo-hoo!
And if I hear one more time how the Russians are our allies, I'm going to ralph.
Moscow the focus of Iran moves at UN
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Russia’s stance on Iran’s nuclear programme took centre stage on Thursday, as the United States and the European Union sought to win Moscow’s support for a hard-hitting United Nations Security Council resolution.
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So the Heat is on Russia,,,,,seems to me...
See #3.
Maybe they should go hunting with him.
Heat is on Russia? No, I don't think so.
You woulda thought they learned their lesson after the tragedy at the school at the hands of their own terrorists. You don't coddle or make deals. But I guess the profit and greed motive far outweigh their desire to protect their own citizens.
Demanding market price for gas = bullying your neighbors?
The russian are our allies. They even fly nuclear bombers in North America airspace! /Sarcasm
Next time they will be shot down.
If they want to be seen as "an important positive factor of global politics", they would be well advised to become such a factor first.
"...He also warned Moscow against using its energy resources to blackmail its neighbors — an apparent reference to Russia sharply rising a price for its gas supplied to Western-leaning Ukraine amid a sharp dispute that led to a brief halt of gas exports to other European nations early this year."
"Russian officials and diplomats reacted angrily Thursday to a summit of former Soviet republics and allies where U.S. criticized Moscow for backtracking on freedom and bullying its neighbors."
Let me guess: They reacted by threatening newspapers that print it and the baltic states with threats if they too agree with it.
Sorry all.
First, I don't disagree with Cheney's comments at all.
However, world politics and world diplomacy go together.
Whatever alliance building we are doing with ex-Soviet Republics, that is a long-term process and no matter how it is going now, that process is not any "immediate" gain or threat to us.
But the situation in Iran is and it can mean quite a big immediate difference, if we and the Europeans get Russian abstentions or Russian vetoes on Security Council resolutions on Iran.
Now, today, this minute was not the moment to emphasize our criticism of Russia, and particularly not in a forum designed to exclude them from most of their former partners.
It is not a matter of Cheney being correct or his words being truthful or not. Its a matter of not only choosing your battles but choosing when to engage it in a way that is not working at cross-purposes with other battles; possibly battles of more immediate concern.
If I had been Condi and Cheney, I would have delayed the conference with ex-Soviet states until we had already ended or got nearer the end of trying to get sanctions on Iran.
No, in the end, we will do what we have to do.
But, we do not need to intentionally go out of the way to increase the chances of a possible Russian veto, that would then be followed with very different reactions to our actions, than if we got a Russian abstention.
Administrations do these things, usually, when no one is making everyone look together at the largest picture.
Not bad ideas, just bad form.
The ukranians didn't go a single DAY without gas, they stole Germany's gas like they have every time gas has stopped or they've felt like it.
Do you buy into every piece of Soros' propaganda?
Maybe Russia should listen to what he's saying.
Thanks CG. To hear WALI tell it , one might get the notion that Cheney 'misspoke'.
Disabuse yourself of that 'notion'.
It was deliberate and fuly intentional...and despite Wali's second-guessing, it is designed to fit a clearly defined Administration plan.
The Russians need us more than ever to effect the inconstancy of our "relationship" co-dependency.
Cheney’s robust approach is a serious gamble
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By Guy Dinmore in Washington, Neil Buckley in Moscow and Stefan Wagstyl in Vilnius
Published: May 4 2006 21:22 | Last updated: May 4 2006 21:22
Vice President Dick Cheney’s accusation on Thursday that Russia was using its energy resources as “blackmail” marked the first public salvo by the US in what could be a very fraught run-up to the G8 summit in St Petersburg in July, diplomats in Washington said.
Clearly US-Russian relations are under strain, but analysts differ over just how badly ties have deteriorated since President George W. Bush said famously in 2001 that he had looked into the eyes of Vladimir Putin and “got a sense of his soul”.
There is also debate whether Mr Cheney, a veteran hardliner of the cold war with the Soviet Union, is pushing for a tougher policy on Russia than Condoleezza Rice, secretary of state and a specialist of the Soviet era.
“Putin is no longer regarded by the Bush administration as a reliable partner,” a European diplomat commented. He and analysts involved in briefing the vice president’s office described Mr Cheney as “furious” with the Russian president over what the US sees as serious backsliding in democracy, its use of energy as a foreign policy weapon and its recent refusal to halt the sale to Iran of an air defence system.
A senior US official in Lithuania – where Mr Cheney delivered his speech at a Vilnius summit of Europe’s new democracies – sought to portray his harsh comments as in line with a tougher trend that could be seen in Mr Bush’s similarly choreographed visit to Latvia and Georgia on the fringes of Russia a year ago, and continued by Ms Rice.
“Russia is not the Soviet Union,” the official said. “Russia is not becoming the Soviet Union, but nevertheless we are concerned about the trend in Russia today... We don’t see a strengthening of institutions consistent to normal democratic societies.”
The US was also clear that it wanted to work with Russia on issues of mutual concern, including Iran, non-proliferation, and the “war on terror”.
Diplomats did not believe there was a significant divergence of views between Mr Cheney and Ms Rice over Russia. But there was disagreement among European envoys in Washington over the merits of antagonising Moscow just as the western coalition was seeking its support for a UN resolution that would require Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment programme.
“The G8 summit is the lever,” the European diplomat commented, saying Mr Putin could expect a lot of pressure over Iran and energy supplies in the run-up to the July 15-17 meeting he is lavishly preparing for.
"get Russian abstentions or Russian vetoes on Security Council resolutions on Iran."
It wouldn't happen anyway. Wuss diplomacy does not work with the Russians. And I'm sure far smarter people than you or I know when the best time to hit them is. Besides there is also China which I don't see them stepping aside in this Iran crises either.
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