Obama’s Russia challenge
Is Medvedev giving Obama his first foreign crisis?
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sends missiles to Poland.
(AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Dmitry Astakhov, Presidential Press Service)
“Perhaps not even Joe Biden expected to be so right so soon,” said The Economist online. Mere hours after his election, Barack Obama got his first foreign test, when Russian President Dmitry Medvedev “decided against the traditional congratulatory phone call” and instead announced that he will “stick a few missile regiments” near Poland, in Kaliningrad, to counter perceived threats from a U.S. missile-defense shield.
It isn’t surprising that Medvedev “and his master, Vladimir Putin, would be the first to try intimidating the president-elect,” said The Washington Post in an editorial, but this test isn’t a particularly tough one. Putin wants to “bluff” Obama into abandoning the missile shield, to show Russian might against a “weakening America,” and Obama should just ignore his “crude threat.”
Medvedev actually seemed to be talking more to the outgoing administration, said Irina Filatova in Britain’s The Guardian, but it was a tone-deaf way to welcome the new one. By painting the U.S. as the world’s “main baddy,” he is taking anti-Americanism too far for Russia’s own good. U.S.-Russian relations need to thaw, but it’s not all up to Obama.
“Unless there is a new effort by Moscow, the ball is now in Obama’s court,” said Yuri Mamchur in Russia Blog. But the truth is that, with their financial meltdowns, “neither of the two countries needs (or can afford) a new missile system in Europe.”
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9 Comments
Posted by DT, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 8:10 am Okay Obama, you have your chance now. Show us how your smooth words can build a broad coalition to disarm Russia's missile crises without weakening the US.
Posted by Steve, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 9:11 am Sure, DT. Easy way to end the crisis? Cave in! Remove all missile defenses and American troops near Poland. That'll show 'em!
Posted by Glenn in CA, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 12:16 pm Given the opportunity I wonder what Europeans think of this American shield in Europe?
Posted by Brett, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 2:04 pm There are still 2 1/2 months until Obama even takes office, so what is happening now is not his crisis at all. He needs to start coming up with plans as to how he could handle potential situations, but this particular situation could change or be completely gone by late January. I know that all of those who want Obama to do or look bad will blame everything from The Holocaust to the flat tire that they got this morning on Obama, but if Medvedev was ignorant enough to think that he was challenging Obama directly by his recent belligerence, then Obama will have no trouble in handling him.
Posted by Jesica, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 5:40 pm Glenn, the Europeans have happily let the US fund their security for the last 70 years, so i'm sure they have no problem with our sheild protecting them. i for one am curious to see how Obama handles real situations, and if those pretty words get lost in translation.
Posted by Brett, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 9:37 pm Sorry, Kam, Obama looks great!! He has taken all of the baseless, empty, reactionary lies and innuendo that were thrown at him and he overcame it all with intelligence and poise. If the Russians were trying to specifically challenge Obama, then it was only because they are afraid of having to deal with someone in the White House who is intelligent and innovative, not because they think him to be insignificant. Much of Russia's belligerence of late has been due to the neocon's resumption of the arms race with the missile defense shield, which has already caused much more instability in the world than it ever could prevent, especially since it wouldn't be effective. Please try to do the country a service in the future by having some basis to your criticisms instead of just being a partisan hack who opposes good ideas just because "he" or some other non-republican came up with them. Any government or administration, Obama's included, needs healthy, valid criticism, not just people trying to beat it down out of useless and wasteful partisanship.
Posted by Grag, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 10:29 pm Or how about maybe Russia's doing it for reasons that have nothing to do with Obama? Not every aggressive move by a foreign power is a specific test of our strength, resolve, male organ size, what have you. What's going on internally in Russia right now? What's going on in its backyward and frontyard? I don't know, and I'll bet most of the rest of us on this board don't either. One of the things that's given the U.S. such a sorrowful reputation in so many parts of the world is our tendency to think that we're the center of the universe and anyone who doesn't agree with us needs to be shoved around. That kind of un-nuanced, knee-jerk national chauvinism has proven wildly unsuccessful over and over in the past several years. That's why we've elected someone who is measured, patient, and pragmatic instead of...well, someone who's not. My hunch is that, if this is still an issue when Obama takes office, he'll make a point to understand the intricacies of the situation, and he'll be as strong, tough, and assertive as he needs to be--but no more than he needs to be.
Posted by Kam, Thursday, November 6, 2008, 11:10 pm As a current professor (for this semester) of Russian history and Russian political activism, I'm sure Brett and Grag are much better informed than I could ever be about Russia's actions and purposes. To the quote: "if this is still an issue when Obama takes office, he'll make a point to understand the intricacies of the situation, and he'll be as strong, tough, and assertive as he needs to be--but no more than he needs to be." Great!! This will be his first real action outside of empty words!! And Mr. BO votes, "Present!" I am so glad I am neithor a dem nor repub.
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