The analytical program "However," with Mikhail Leontyev 26 December 2013
A few words for the year. Tankers loaded with Syrian chemical weapons under the protection of Russian ships, transport it to a US ship, where it will be destroyed in accordance with the agreements reached. A year ago, such a picture would be considered a product of violent imagination.
A year ago, the United States and its allies denounced Russia for supporting the "bloody Assad regime" in Syria and were almost openly preparing for a military operation. At the same time, the question of probable strikes against Iran was being discussed. Saudi Arabia offered Russia a bribe to 15 billion dollars for refusing to support Syria in the blue eye. Fraternal Ukraine selflessly made the European choice. And only the whims and claims of European diplomats prevented the final solution of the Ukrainian question. Against this negative background, the only exception was Georgia, which had entered the day before on a cure for "Saakashism".
A year ago, the stench of the Magnitsky Act, just adopted by the Americans, seemed to completely determine the atmosphere of Russian-American relations. When a year ago we talked about the possibility of radical changes in these relations, and indeed in politics and the worldview of a weakening superpower, authoritative analysts twisted their fingers at their heads. And they talked about the failure of Putin’s diplomacy in all vectors. You know, like in a joke: not lost, but won, and not in preference, but in chess ... These 15 billion, invested, in fact, in reintegration with Ukraine, against 15 billion failed Saudi bribe - a clear illustration of Russian foreign policy triumph Sample 2013 of the year.
The September agreement on the Syrian chemical weapons and the Geneva-2 conference scheduled for January radically changed the situation not only around Syria. November - a breakthrough in the negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. Today, military strikes on Syria and Iran, that is, the prospects for unleashing a global war in the region are out of the question. Saakashvili is a symbol of pathological Russophobia, not only forcedly employed in the United States, but also became banned from entering Ukraine. Ukraine itself hastily restores military-technical cooperation with Russia. The Vilnius Summit, called to become the triumph of the so-called "Eastern Partnership", turned into his funeral. Where instead of those who took the oath of Ukraine and Armenia, one unfortunate dilapidated Moldova swore oath.
Notice that everything that Putin was reproached, the idea of Eurasian integration with a tough, consistent policy towards its opponents, a tough, consistent position on Syria, allegedly driving Russia into international isolation, opposition to a forceful solution to the Iranian nuclear problem - all this turned out to be a plus. It turned out to be a plus, it would seem inappropriate perseverance in upholding the principle of national sovereignty, confronting all sorts of humanitarian interventions, upholding the seemingly forever lost influence of the UN. Russia has made a long bet on a multi-polar world, where a superpower, overstrained in its greatness, will have to agree. And Russia won this bid.
And the taming of the obstinate is generally ours historical mission.
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