Medvedev-Obama Summit: A Path to Success

Today, President Barack Obama arrives in Moscow for talks with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev. These talks are critical for America, Russia and the rest of the world, and we must wish success to both Presidents and to those in the United States and Russia who support their intention to meet and talk.

The issue of reducing both nations' nuclear stockpiles, the central agenda of the meeting, is the linchpin of a number of other global problems, including Iran and North Korea. But the meeting will also be of crucial importance to European security, and to global security more generally.

During the last eight years, the Bush administration acted unilaterally and attempted to remove the issue of strategic balance from the Russo-American relationship. That policy resulted in the collapse of several keystones of the global security architecture. The relationship between Russia and America deteriorated to the point where any proposal coming from one side was treated by the other side with distrust and suspicion. Both Moscow and Washington looked for hidden motives in each other's actions. During the conflict in Georgia last August, the relationship between Russia and America came to the point of nadir.

Next week's meeting provides an opportunity to begin the process of reviving our relationship. We should not expect an actual signing of a strategic offensive weapons treaty during this visit. Instead, the goal of this summit is for the negotiators to report on the progress of working out a new, comprehensive, legally binding agreement on reducing and limiting strategic offensive arms, to replace the START-1 treaty which expires at the end of the year.

The prospects for success are real. This is the first serious encounter of two young presidents who both represent a new generation of politicians. They are not burdened by the past mistakes, and they are both capable of looking forward. Both presidents have a vested interested in making the U.S.-Russia relationship work.

But repairing this relationship will take time, and there are deep obstacles to success that are rooted in history.

In 2002, then-Secretary of State Colin Powell and I were tasked with preparing the visit of President George Bush to Moscow. The two presidents concluded their summit with a final Declaration which stated the two nations had elevated themselves to the "new strategic relations." The era when Russia and the United States regarded each other as adversaries or strategic threats, they claimed, was over. We all know how the rest of the story played out.

To succeed next week, we must analyze why this grand declaration fizzled. We can argue about who bears more responsibility for the degeneration of the relationship, but the fact is that there were hawks on both sides who did not want to see an improvement in Russo-American relations. These individuals had enough power to torpedo the process of putting the ideas of the Moscow 2002 Declaration into practice. There is little doubt that similar attempts will be made this time around. In fact the hawks are already at work.

Presidents Medvedev and Obama can avoid these land mines by concentrating on the issues that are of strategic importance to each of their countries. It is well known how destructive "packages" and "linkages" can be. Trying to link the issue of Iran's sanctions with the issue of placing missile defense system in Europe will guarantee a failure. This will not change until Russia and the United States can regain the basics of trust, mutual understanding, maintaining dialogue, and hearing each other.

If the summit is successful in reestablishing these fundamentals, it will be easier to add other security-sensitive problems to the agenda later. Success is very much achievable if the two Presidents maintain personal control. Top-level personal contacts have always been the key link for the Russian-American relationship. Success will not be possible if the institutions responsible for maintaining the relationship malfunction, or if the channels of communications between governments are blocked.

By solving our issues one by one we can create a new architecture of Russo-American ties based on the principles of mutual security, trust, openness, co-operation and predictability. We cannot afford to miss this chance.

Comments

[Cosatjockomo]

I hope Obama has the sense in renegotiating a nuclear arms reduction treaty to re-establish our right to produce a few neutron bombs. We're gonna need them for Iran (don't want to ignite the oil fields). North Korea can be dealt with more traditionally.

[ApolloSpeaks]

TOOTH FAIRY DIPLOMACY

Obama saying to Putin: "We're not destined to be antagonists," is like saying that Islam is a religion of tolerance, justice, brotherhood and peace. If you repeat it enough times and wish it hard enough, using all the powers of positive thinking while clicking both heels, maybe the tooth fairy will make it real.

[Reader451]

Why is America destined to be antagonistic with Russia?

[ApolloSpeaks]

Our two countries aren't destined to be antagonists, they already are. Obama's remarks to Putin about him living in the past (the Cold War era) says as much.

[arvay]

The greatest obstacle to accommodation is Russia's weakness.

I have a suggestion.

Russia and Germany should join in a bilateral partnership that overarches both the EU and NATO. It's basically an outgrowth of what Peter the Great was trying to achieve, linking Russia's resources and talent with Germany's experience and discipline­.This is a nightmare for Britain and my country, which have always wanted a divided European mainland. In the long run, however, this will be the best thing for America, once we see past our politicians' short-term greed and desire to dominate.

I'm quite aware of the obstacles to such a course. Millions of dead in WWII. National pride. But former enemies who each fought bravely can respect each other.

If both nations are smart enough to treat each other as equals, their partnership can revolutionize Europe and the world. A weak Europe is an economic and cultural disaster. A German-Russian partnership will make Europe healthy and powerful.

America needs a strong Europe, not a lackey, that can stand on its own and set its own future. The American era needs to be ended, so the future of humanity can begin.

[mergina]

I guess you could say that if Mededev was actually in charge of anything.

[Cameleon]

Sir, I am hesitant, to approach you on this matter. I have a paranoid personality, saying that to say this. That is you may have been reading over my back.
Now I am going to say what what I initially started out to say. Propaganda is not dead. If you are pretending that Mr. Putin is just going o go stand in a corner, I do not think so, so you go ahead and tell the american public how well the two young presidents are going to get along, spread your propaganda. Putin is planning a comeback, and Obama is no match for him.

[Piscopo]

Reagan walked out of Iceland with the Russians wetting themselves.
The Russians talked tough, but carried no stick. The mainstream media attacked Reagan as a cowboy, railed against him as crazy, yada, yada, yada. Reagan's idea of a missile shield was his stick. The mainstream media called it star wars, and ridiculed Reagan's idea as a fairy tale, pie in the sky, not doable.
Obama going there apologizing for America. So sad. Sadder yet, he's no Reagan.

[Pupadup4oBama]

Thank the gods Obama is no Reagan! WHOOO HOOOO

[Reader451]

I am sooo glad your ilk is no longer the elect. Please continue to advertise why that should continue to be true.

[Piscopo]

Sadness.
The Russian leadership is harassing ,shuttering news outlets and murdering journalists. The ex-KGB head Putin is running the the new soviet era Russia. Medvedev is his girly man.
To picture frame this as a meeting between a new generation of politicians is poetic, but silly. These guys are nothing different or more remarkable than a new generation of bacteria.

[Garvagh]

Bravo! The US would do well to adopt some of the Russian foreign policy toward the Middle East because it is more in the national interests of the US than that put out by the US itself.

[hegdehog]

I'm reminded of a story I once heard about a meeting between Nikita Kruschev and Hubert Humphrey. Apparently, they got along quite well, and also loved to knock back a shot or two or five of Russia's most famous beverage. At one point in the evening, well into their second bottle, Humphrey said Kruschev stood up and walked over to a large map of the world. He pointed at it and asked, "Where do you live?" Humphrey got up and pointed to the Twin Cities on the map. Kruschev laughed and said, "We bomb there last!" The one-on-one relationship is vitally important when dealing with the Russians.

[Marlyn]

"there were hawks on both sides who did not want to see an improvement in Russo-American relations.­"

Was GW Bush one of those HAWKS?

[StephCaster]

Those of us who are not diplomats can answer bluntly, "Hell Yes!"

[hegdehog]

Just like there are hawks who don't want to see bin Laden captured or killed and who wanted to see Ahmadinejad re-elected.

[RButler]

I was pleasantly surprised by Obama's serious, businesslike and fairly complete speech in Moscow with the Russian president. I'm guessing he had extensive briefings from the State Department and stepped out of his 'campaign mode' and his penchant for working the crowd. There was far less rhetoric and more substance than his usual speeches. It's a good start. I hope he brings that kind of rigorous speaking back home. We all now know about hope and change and he needs to get to work with some effective action. There is still a lot to do and what has been started isn't guaranteed to succeed until it does.

[Piscopo]

Extensive briefings? POTUS thought Putin was still president and referred to him as such.
The only people goofier than these two, are those that think negotiating with the Russians is productive.

[OLJW00]

The biggest problem with your article is the naivety with which you consider Medvedev. He is merely a placard keeping the seat warm for the return of the man (Putin) who ACTUALLY runs the country.

Today was window dressing - period. Attempting to make more of this is an exercise in futility.

What you didn't see today was the great Oz behind the curtain laughing at us as he throws out a hollow bone.

This is a chess match my friend....­..so put away the marbles.

[salh]

I guess Pres. Obama will apologize to the Russian President for the United States. Everything will be Pres. Bush fault. I don't expect Pres.Obama will come away with anything concrete in the way of any negotiations.

[lompe]

Your conservative gut failed you again.

[Robster]

Obama will be the best the Russians could have hoped for since Carter.

[bigben1986]

Your comments can be taken off cynically both ways. Mr. Carter talks diplomacy, while the previous one talks tough no results. Take your pick.

[LMPE]

While I don't consider either of these presidents supremely ideal leaders, I certainly have faith - no religious connotation - in this meeting.

[wwwlepotanicom]

This is the first serious encounter of two young presidents who both represent a new generation of politicians. The prospects for success are real.

P.S. The “gods” were beings who came from another planet. Crop Circle Symbology. The mystery of who is creating these crop circles has not been solved by any means. While there are those who say they are divinely created, others feel that there is an extraterrestrial source. According to the ancient Sumerians, the “gods” were beings who came from another planet. Read more http://wwwlepotanicom.wordpress.com/2009/07/06/intelligenttechnologically-advanced-race-living-under-the-sea

[Weirdwriter]

Please take your religion to another planet nearest you. Thank you.

[ModernTimes1]

When P.S.is longer than the message, suspect subterfuge.