Russian President Vladimir Putin stood out at the recent G-8 Summit. Amid all the jolly back patting and relaxed banter he looked decidedly uncomfortable. No wonder!
Not only have his buddies former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and the longtime French President Jacques Chirac been ousted, he currently has a running dispute with British Prime Minister Tony Blair over a poisoned Russian spy and a more serious contretemps with George Bush over a US plan to position anti-missile missiles on Russia’s former turf.
In other words, Putin is no longer “one of the boys”. Blair sealed that status when he said there were problems between Russia and the West that will not be solved any time soon and told the Russian leader that his country was feared in Britain.
On the surface, relations between the Russian leader and his British and American counterparts appeared cordial. Putin is a consummate politician and diplomat whose emotions are carefully held in check. But when his latest speeches are dissected it’s clear he’s seething under all that politesse.
Speaking to politicians, military officials, entrepreneurs and experts attending the 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy, Putin began by apologizing for being uncharacteristically frank.
Firstly, he showed his disdain for a unipolar world. “It is a world in which there is one master, one sovereign and at the end of the day this is pernicious not only for all those within the system, but also for the sovereign itself because it destroys itself from within”.
Next, he attacked the US for its contravention of “the basic principles of international law”, its “almost uncontained hyper use of force that is plunging the world into an abyss of permanent conflicts” and for overstepping its borders in economic, political, cultural and economic terms. “Well, who likes this? Who is happy about this?” he asks.
Putin certainly isn’t as evidenced by his comments during a post-G-8 interview, which were underreported, some say deliberately.
When asked by a reporter from Der Spiegel whether a new Cold War was in the offing, Putin prevaricated somewhat by accusing “certain member of the international community” of being “absolutely convinced that their opinion is the correct one”, which is “hardly conducive to creating a trusting atmosphere”.
A Wall Street Journal reporter got down to the nitty-gritty by asking what Russia gains from being fiercely opposed to Washington’s plans to install an anti-missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
“We are asking ourselves the question: What is going on? Russia is disarming unilaterally. But if we disarm unilaterally then we would like to see our partners be willing to do the same thing in Europe,” he said. “On the contrary, Europe is being pumped full of new weapons systems. And, of course, we cannot help but be concerned”.
“I would not want you to suffer from the illusion that we have fallen out of love with anyone,” Putin said. “But I sometimes think to myself: Why are they doing all this?” Why are our American partners trying so obstinately to deploy a missile defense system in Europe when — and this is perfectly obvious — it is not needed to defend against Iranian or — even more obvious — North Korean missiles?”
Putin does not believe Iranian or North Korean missiles possess enough range to pose a threat to the US or Europe.
“So it is clearly not against them and it is clearly not against us because it is obvious to everyone that Russia is not preparing to attack anybody. Is it perhaps to ensure that we carry out retaliatory measures...to prevent a further rapprochement between Russia and Europe?”
Putin may no longer be one of the G-8 in crowd but he was masterful at getting his points across and skilled at political strategy. After threatening to turn Russian missiles in the direction of Western cities in response to the US plan, he surprised George Bush and other delegates by offering to set up a military base jointly with America to host US anti-missile missiles in Russia’s old stomping ground, Azerbaijan.
Alternatively, he suggested, the American system could be erected in either Iraq, Southern Europe or on a platform in the sea.
In fact, Vladimir Putin is right to be nervous concerning US intentions. When the Berlin Wall was dismantled it looked as though old hatreds and mistrust were dismantled with each brick. There was real hope that at least we could all live together in harmony without fear of an imminent nuclear holocaust.
But in the intervening years, the US and its allies have shown little goodwill toward Russia.
One of the first things Bush did when he took office was dissolve the ABM Treaty. Then there was the invasion of Iraq, which flew against Russia’s strategic and economic interests.
Since, we’ve witnessed NATO’s encroachment right up to Russia’s borders, while the US has actively supported pro-Western revolutions in Ukraine, Georgia, Serbia and Belarus. US bases have also mushroomed throughout the Caucuses and the Middle East.
Moreover, both the US and Britain constantly hammer Russia on the question of human rights, although their own records are suspect, and criticize Russia’s interpretation of democracy.
Until recently, Putin was adamant he would not run for a third term of office even though he enjoys approval ratings that would turn Bush and Blair green. He has always said a third term would not be constitutional. However, there are signs that he intends to stay on after all.
If that’s true, given the level of anti-Russian hostility from the West, then the Russian people will no doubt feel relieved.
Now that Blair is on his way out this month and with Bush set to follow, people who love peace can only hope that Gordon Brown and whoever takes the reins from Bush will have the sense to mend the divide before it becomes a dangerous abyss that can never again be bridged.
