Who Needs a Cold War When You Have a Hot One?
Stratfor mulls Putin’s eye-poking remarks over the weekend and sees Russia moving openly to regain its lost superpower status with a multi-front “charm offensive.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered what some have been calling the boldest condemnation of the United States — by a Russian leader — since the Cold War. Speaking over the weekend at the 43rd Munich Conference on Security Policy, Putin said the United States had “overstepped its national borders in every way” and that Washington was engaging in “an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations.” Among other remarks, he also said that Washington’s frequent, unilateral use of force encourages smaller states to develop nuclear weapons, and that U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe could trigger a new arms race.
… With his speech, Putin was asserting Russia’s claim to “great power” status and challenging what he called the “unipolar” world of American power.
The challenge, it appears, did not go unnoticed: U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, speaking on Sunday at the same conference, remarked that one Cold War “was quite enough.”
Significantly, while Putin was challenging the United States in Munich, Moscow also was mounting a charm offensive with some of Washington’s most important allies elsewhere.
… at an informal gathering of NATO defense ministers in Seville, Spain, on Feb. 9, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Moscow would be happy to provide assistance to help ensure the success of NATO’s mission in Afghanistan … He also offered Russian assistance with reconstruction and intelligence work, but understandably stopped short of contributing troops to the combat effort.
Ivanov’s remarks were well-timed. NATO forces currently are experiencing some of the most severe fighting in Afghanistan since 2001, and bracing for what promises to be a violent spring and summer.
… (Gates’) “Cold War” remark was a reminder to listeners that it was Moscow that was to blame for the last arms race. Gates also … said Washington should do a better job of explaining its foreign policy decisions. He also made a veiled reference to his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld — who had alienated some European countries by categorizing them as the “old Europe” and “new Europe” — in saying that, “All of these characterizations belong to the past.”
… Putin was already picking up the next leg of the Russian charm offensive — kicking off a tour of the Middle East that, again, will bring him into direct contact with several traditional allies of the United States.
On Sunday, Putin flew to Saudi Arabia — becoming the first-ever Russian head of state to visit the kingdom — (to) discuss increased political and economic cooperation as well as military assistance to the Saudis. The issues of Iraq, Iran’s nuclear program, the Lebanese political crisis and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were also high on the agenda.
… Putin’s current tour is notable in that he will be visiting countries that historically have been well within Washington’s sphere of influence (Jordan, Qatar) — rather than Moscow’s. Such a move, particularly following the remarks in Europe, can be viewed as a direct Russian challenge to the United States in yet another region that Washington considers vital.
Topics: Russia, middle east
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 9:27 am on Monday, February 12, 2007
3 Responses to “Who Needs a Cold War When You Have a Hot One?”
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February 12th, 2007 at 9:46 am
Although today Putin may be openly schmoozing American allies in the Gulf, it’s likely he has also been nurturing the anti-US conflict within Iraq and Afghanistan for quite some time, regardless of his status as a partner in the War on Terror.
February 12th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
I can’t wrap my mind around where Putin thinks he is going. He has real serious and continuing problems.
On his south-eastern border is China which could easily decide that Siberia is the answer to its natural resource problems. His south-western border is Islamic and rebellious. If he gives Iran the bomb, what will stop them from saying, let our Chechen brothers go. Furthermore, even though high oil prices have propped up his economy, if oil goes down or runs out, there is no fall-back position.
Also, his army stinks. Compare Grozny with Fallujah. It is like comparing surgery with a car-wreck.
Finally, there is the mother of all demographic crises creeping up on Russia. Seewashingtonpost.com, The Emptying of Russia, By Nicholas Eberstadt, Friday, February 13, 2004; Page A27.
Given his situation, one would think that he should be trying to forge an alliance with the US to protect him from China and Islam.
But know he wants it to be 1979 and he wants the old band to get back together. That strikes me as counter-productive.
February 12th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
You’d have thought the euros would have gotten a taste of what’s in store with the last gas extortion by the Russians.