Obama's Trip To Russia: The Soviet Perspective
In 48 hours President Barack Obama secured the support of an anti-nuclear proliferation treaty with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, ate breakfast with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, addressed graduating college students at a Russian college and attended summits with Russian businessmen and opposition leaders. Politically sensitive topics such as Georgia, NATO, Iran and terrorism were discussed.
The American media regarded Obama's first-ever meeting with the Russian president a success, though not perfect. According to The New York Times, Obama upset his Russian hosts when he decided to spend his last evening in Moscow ensconced in his hotel room with his wife Michelle and two daughters.
The decision to brush off the Russians on one of his two nights here miffed some in the Moscow government who did not understand why he would not devote the scarce time to his hosts. Mr. Obama had dinner with President Dmitri A. Medvedev on Monday and lunch with him on Tuesday. But with the second dinner slot unavailable, he ended up having breakfast Tuesday with Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin, a known night owl not given to American-style early morning business meals.
The New York Times said Obama appeared "tired" in Moscow, mispronouncing the name of Russian President Medevdez several times, in addition to incorrectly stating his youngest daughter Sasha's age and where he and Mrs. Obama first met. How did the Russian media report Obama's historic meeting? According to The Moscow Times, Russia was "indifferent" to Obama. A surprisingly large number of Russians don't even know who Obama is, reported the paper.
State pollster VTsIOM said Monday that 16 percent of Russians don't even know who Obama is. It said 36 percent are indifferent to him, 20 percent say he awakens hope, zero percent hate him and only 1 percent admire him.
Meanwhile, gay activists abandoned plans to hold an unsanctioned rally Tuesday near the U.S. Embassy, citing fears that they could not guarantee the safety of participants.
The Moscow Times published a story with a different take on Obama's visit - U.S. businesses are dovetailing the presidential summits with their own press conferences and government meetings. Deere & Co., PepsiCo and Boeing are among the many corporations drawing attention to their Russian investments and expansions.
One week prior to Obama's Russian trip, Newsweek approached politicians, human rights activists and others about what they would like to see accomplished at the summit. Here are some excerpts (for the entire article click here)
Karina Maskalenko, a lawyer for jailed billionaire Mikhail Khordorkovsky and assassinated journalist Anna Politkovskaya's family, at the European Court of Human Rights: "The independence of the entire court system in Russia is currently being tested by two major trials: the Yukos [petroleum company] case and the Khordorkovsky case. Russian President [Dmitry] Medvedev created a challenge for himself by admitting that Russia is rotten with state corruption. Does the president, a lawyer, really think that for an innocent person to be pardoned, he or she should first admit guilt? That is nothing but pure legal nihilism. We want President Obama to know the truth about Russia just as much as we want to know the truth about America's violations in its prisons. Let us be open and honest with each other, rather than turning our backs on our problems."
Garry Kasparov, chess champion and political opposition leader: "This is a unique event. The fact that political players like me, [reformer] Boris Nemtsov, and [member of the opposition] Elena Lukyanova will have a chance to meet with President Obama means it is possible to reset relations. Obama cannot change our reality in two days, but we at least expect him to stop treating us with double standards. Russia has an authoritarian regime; Obama's and Putin's values cannot have common ground. I will tell President Obama about Russia's dozens of political prisoners--opposition activists, scientists, and businessmen. We will judge him by whether or not he has a clear plan for Russia. But we wish to highlight that Russia deserves democracy."
Vladimir Frolov, president of LEFF Group, a Russian government-relations and PR company, said Obama's efforts to reform the relationship between the two countries has produced a policy challenge for the Kremlin. He writes in an OP/ED In Russia's The St. Petersburg Times:
Obama is challenging Medvedev to prove that he is interested in solving problems and not grandstanding on them. Medvedev wants Obama to show that the United States will listen to what Russia had to say. Both should be careful what they wish for.
Below is a compendium of opinions from various Russian publications:
Gocha Dzasokhov, president of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, wrote an opinion piece in Rianovosti, a state-owned Russian news agency:
When discussing the Georgian problem, the presidents of Russia and the U.S. are bound to touch upon the issue of Abkhazia and South Ossetia's independence. We would like them to respect the opinion of the Georgian Peoples Assembly, which believes that the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia has greatly raised the level of expectations for the Russian political elite.
It is highly important now to find an optimal balance between the security of the new Caucasian states and a political structure that would suit all those in the region.
"If -- all of a sudden -- Obama had hoped for a red carpet and a crazy crowd of fans chanting something like Hollywood-style, 'We love you!', nothing of the kind was awaiting him in Moscow."
"Can the leopard change his spots?" Moskovsky Komsomolets asked. "America's main strategic course remains unchanged, irrespective of whoever occupies the president's chair."
Check out HuffPost's complete coverage of Obama's trip abroad.
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Huffington Post | Morgan Korn
First Posted: 07- 7-09 01:54 PM | Updated: 07- 7-09 09:35 PM