The International Herald Tribune quotes diplomatic sources as saying Washington is ready to exchange concessions in the field of conventional weapons for compromise solutions to the Kosovo and Iranian problems.
Mind you that, according to the journalists’ sources, the White House would even agree to wait with moves to meet its antimissile plans in Poland and the Czech Republic. Russia decries its plans for eastern Europe, which brings to mind what the patriarch of American policy-making, Henry Kissinger, said a short while ago. Dr Kissinger compared Russian policy-making to chess playing, and American policy-making to card playing. One could extend that simile to cardsharping in diplomacy. Now, what exactly do I mean by that?
The White House sees it is running against time in the negotiations on conventional weapons in Europe. It has, as a matter of fact, found itself in the shoes of a chess player who has exhausted his time limit, because Russia is suspending its membership of the Treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe next December 12. That decision was hard to make because the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance have always disregarded, instead of respecting, that document. They have been moving the NATO armed forces closer to the Russian border. The situation is shockingly unfair, which is why Washington is trying to save its image with the help of talk about possible concessions to Russia. Much the same thing can be said about the American antimissile plans for Europe. An ex-deputy secretary of state, Strobe Talbott, was speaking about that earlier this week. He told the House foreign affairs committee that the United States found itself in a very awkward position.
Washington is trying to do two things: pretend that everything is alright, and talk Moscow into compromise solutions to the problems of Kosovo and Iran. Its plans are easy to read. Moscow insists that the Treaty on conventional armed forces in Europe be ratified by all members of the North Atlantic Alliance. Well, the ratification may take a long time; the outcome of this process is unpredictable, and the pledge to wait with the deployment of elements of antimissile defense in Europe may be easily taken back. But there will be no going back on the final result of stubborn western efforts to turn Kosovo into a sovereign country. As far as anti-Iranian muscle-flexing goes, plans that leave room for a military attack on Iran may victimize the Middle East and the rest of the world.
Those examples alone make it clear what kind of game Moscow has been invited to play. There is no doubt that the foreign strategies of Russia can best be described as flexible. They do not rule out, but call, for compromise. But Russia refuses to sell the corner stones of its foreign strategies, national security and global stability. There is no room for bargaining here.
Viktor Yenikeyev
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Russia has been scrambling for friends , Cant say I fualt them . Putin says Russia is returning to her Judo christian values after watching what the new world order did to Yugoslavia . Russia has decided it is going to take a stand against the axes of evil . President Bush is shocked !
Sweet little Condi Rice has no idea whats going on ,after all she went to college for many yrs . She believes the political correct agenda has to be right . Maybe we can pay the muslims to forget about independence ? Not likely !
Comment by eric — November 1, 2007 #