Sarkozy Chides Putin On Russian Tough Talk: "You Want To End Up Like Bush?"

Nicolas Sarkozy saved the President of Georgia from being hanged "by the balls" -- a threat made last summer by Vladimir Putin, according to an account that emerged yesterday from the Elysee Palace.

The Russian Prime Minister had revealed his plans for disposing of Mr Saakashvili when Mr Sarkozy was in Moscow in August to broker a ceasefire in Georgia.

Jean-David Levitte, Mr Sarkozy's chief diplomatic adviser, reported the exchange in a news magazine before an EU-Russia summit today. The meeting will be chaired by the French leader and President Medvedev.

With Russian tanks only 30 miles from Tbilisi on August 12, Mr Sarkozy told Mr Putin that the world would not accept the overthrow of Georgia's Government. According to Mr Levitte, the Russian seemed unconcerned by international reaction. "I am going to hang Saakashvili by the balls," Mr Putin declared.

Mr Sarkozy thought he had misheard. "Hang him?" -- he asked. "Why not?" Mr Putin replied. "The Americans hanged Saddam Hussein."

Mr Sarkozy, using the familiar tu, tried to reason with him: "Yes but do you want to end up like [President] Bush?" Mr Putin was briefly lost for words, then said: "Ah -- you have scored a point there."

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Comments

[notb observer]

Sounds like an interesting exchange..­. I'd wonder if it was the real Sarkozy, or the one that Palin spoke with ;)

[blastocyst]

Ah, B@ll Sweat...

[Dystopic]

or Schweddy Balls?

[FilthyHarry]

Wow. When the French and Russians don't want to end up like you, I'm going to have to say 'Ouch!' for President Bush.

[Hillblogger]

Do you want to end up like Bush? Reviled, detested, hated, repelled, etc, etc? Be my guest!

[progressive83]

Hopefully everyone will come to their senses and stop acting like a vigilante cowboy.

[Lalama]

I'm going to start hanging folk by their balls

[blastocyst]

That takes ____!

[Plank]

Nothing like a comparison to Bush to send shivers down the spine of world leaders.

[notb observer]

Yes, even the ones that are about as close to Bond villains as you can get, with the KGB background and the murders by radiation.­..
It does say an awful little about Bush, and if true, it shows that Sarkozy is a pretty astute operator.

[sueno]

Putin is a paper tiger and his country's military resources,
are old and without the big monies Russia used to have are in decay-
I hate to say it, but the "west" must re-start a "cold war" just to
shut Putin up and box Russia in.

[ssg13565]

How about we stop poking Russia in the eye to see if that will change their attitude?

If Russia were negotiating with Canada and Mexico to put up Russian controlled "defensive" missiles in those countries, would Bush be reacting in a calm, non-threatening manner?

Bush couldn't even reign himself in when he wasn't being threatened.

[Dystopic]

or in Cuba??

[RTIII]

Not a valid comparison.

We never wanted to put any military hardware in Georgia. The reason Georgia is important is because the oil and natural gas pipelines that feed more than 1/3 of Europe's energy needs flow through Georgia. And, this isn't an American problem, per se - it's a European one.
.

[Merckx]

Or the west can ignore the rhetoric and not increase tensions.

[Hillblogger]

Sure! Why not? It's gonna be MAD! (MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction!)

Yeehaw!

[dukesman]

Bush will be fine, he will go back to Texas and contnue living his privilidged life. Its the American people who are left holding the part of the stick with doo-doo on it.

[darthdarcy]

You know at times maybe being Italian, I can see things from Putin's point of view..

I'm sure Saakasvili is lucky he still has his genitalia.­..

[JodyMcg]

It's worth at least 2 points.

[MichiganJFrog]

This is just a word test.

PUMAs

[zenwhenicanbe2]

Ha ha! Thank goodness for Obama, this country needed a facelift.. President Bush is a euphemism among foreign leaders for going down in flames. The 21st century Nero!

[GrainOSand]

Forget the favorability ratings. This story is the most damming indictment of Bush. Even a known dictator and tyrant like Putin does not want to be Bush. I call Putin these things because of reports coming out of Russia about jailed oil barons and other acts of aggression. Yet it seems based on his response, that there is a limit for tyranny and it begins and ends with the specter of being viewed as “Bush”.

I am proud as an American. USA, USA, USA.... (-:

[RTIII]

Yes, once again we set the standard for world measure.
.

[MichiganJFrog]

This is just a word test.

vulgar