Visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Sydney. The Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with U.S. President George Bush (L).
Photo: Dmitry Azarov
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U.S. Changes Policy on Russia
// while Russia changes president
Tough criticism of Russia and new policy of the Kremlin has recently become a usual thing for Washington. The U.S. Congress, the Department of State, and even the White House’s master (who regards himself as a personal friend of the current Russian president) utter critical statements.
Although Moscow takes that criticism with certain irritation, it sees nothing surprising in it, explaining its growing by the upcoming U.S. election: that is, Republicans are trying to prove to their opponents-Democrats that Washington does not forget to criticize even while developing the cooperation with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Indeed, however, U.S. politicians have deeper reasons for increasing the amount of their negative statements about Russia.
This conclusion follows at least from the fact that the U.S. is moving from simply expressing its concern about democracy in Russia and criticizing Russia’s policy to calling for actively counteracting the Kremlin’s policy in may directions. Which means the growing criticism of Russia is not so much a tribute to campaign rhetoric in the struggle for the chief American seat, as a sign that the U.S. policy on Russia is undergoing changes. Or, at least a sign that the policy is about to undergo those changes.
After George Bush’s interview to European mass media in June, in which he scarified Moscow in an unusually tough way for diverging from democracy, aggressive treatment of neighbors, and for the first time accused Russia of instigating a cold war, it became clear: the U.S. is actually drawing a line under a whole stage in its relations with Russia. That stage can be called strategic partnership. Washington’s further steps and statements made this conclusion even more evident.
However, the new American sentiments have a campaign element, still. Yet, it rather concerns the presidential election in Russia, and not in the U.S.
Eight years ago, the U.S. was quite prick-eared about a new Russian leader coming from special services to the Kremlin, who had already promised by that time to whack terrorists in the toilet. “Who are you, Mr. Putin?” became a key question for the White House. George Bush answered it only in 2001, when he said goodbye to Vladimir Putin in Slovenia and made his famous statement: “I looked that guy in the eye: he can be trusted.”
However, despite the alert concerning the new Russian leader, remaining back then in the U.S., Washington’s policy on Russia remained practically the same as in President Yeltsin’s time. Russia’s admission as a full-right member to the G8 during the summit in Kananaskis in summer 2002 became the period’s climax.
Now, however, when Russia is undergoing a new change of power, the situation looks almost opposite. On the whole, the U.S. took the Kremlin’s choice of Dmitry Medvedev as the next Russian president positively. Yet, they are making it more and more clear that the new Russian leader will have to deal with a new U.S. policy on Russia.
Gennady Sysoev
All the Article in Russian as of Dec. 20, 2007
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