How will Obama deal with Russian President’s threats, calls for talks?
After Obama’s election victory on November 4, Russian President Medvedev showed strong opposition to the U.S. planned missile defense system and threatened to move short-range missiles on the borders of NATO nations in retaliation to the missile system, which Russian claims is a Cold War style weapon that would weaken their nuclear deterrent used throughout the war.
Yet, during Medvedev’s first visit to the U.S. capital, he showed a change in attitude, desiring to start talks with President-elect Obama, saying the missile defense system is a good starting point. This could be the first taste we get of Obama’s skills as a diplomat with firepower. Shortly after Russia’s bully war on Georgia, will Obama be able to implement the missile defense system in hopes of “protecting” Europe?
Obama has never indicated he puts hope in the defense system in the first place, so he may give it up to keep Russia’s missiles away from our allies. But the whole world is watching Obama and has high expectations. Is Obama willing to take the risk of appearing to be bullied around if he drops the missile defense system? Or if he decides against the missile defense program, can he prove to the American people and the Europeans that the program is bogus?
A lot is riding on this man’s shoulders—including a lot of hope.
The AP story:
Medvedev said there is a lack of trust between Russia and the United States, but it is “in our power” to create a partnership.
He called for talks with Obama as soon as possible after he becomes president Jan. 20 and suggested that missile defense would be a good place to start.
“I hope that the new president, the new administration will have a desire to discuss this,” Medvedev told members of the Council on Foreign Relations. “At least the first signals that we have received indicate that our new partners are thinking about the problems and do not simply plan to rubber stamp the plans.”
The full AP story via Google News
Photo credit: Flickr/World Economic Forum
Comments
By Dan Posey on November 16th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Do people get what they want by becoming your best friend or by threatening your existence?
I like Medvedev’s figure of speech usage in that last quotation.