Two presidents, two worlds
Russian President Vladimir Putin spent more than an hour and a half talking with his American counterpart. The leaders of the two countries met at the UN headquarters on the margins of the UN General Assembly. A curious detail: after the conversation, Barack Obama decided not to comment on the outcome of the meeting, and Putin had to “take the rap” before the journalists alone. Obama’s hasty departure looked like a political escape: the “exceptional” president probably didn’t want to admit Putin’s intransigence on key issues. The press often calls Obama a weakling even without that, and then Putin took and ridiculed sanctions and "isolation" of Russia.
The main topics of the meeting of the two presidents were, of course, Ukraine and Syria. It is around Ukraine and Syria that both the problems of mutual mistrust between Russia and the United States and the points of contact are lined up.
The presidents talked directly about Russian-American relations going through a difficult period. Obviously, there is no warming in the near future. Rather, a cooling is planned. America will "push" sanctions, Russia will bravely hold on.
We highlight the main thing that is known about the negotiations of the two presidents.
First, the policy of Western "isolation" and sanctions against Russia.
Following a meeting with US President Barack Obama at the UN headquarters, Vladimir Putin saidthat the sanctions policy does not reach its goals, and isolation against Russia is impossible: “From the very beginning, we said that the policy of sanctions and isolation, it is generally ineffective in the modern world, and its goals, as a rule, are not achieved.”
According to the president, isolation is impossible with respect to Russia, “it is enough to at least look at a geographic map.”
Secondly, the relationship between Washington and Moscow.
It's all just two or two: the relationship is bad. And Moscow is not to blame.
“Relations between Russia and the United States, unfortunately, are at a fairly low level, but this is not our initiative,” delicately сказал Putin.
According to him, this is bad for bilateral and international relations.
Thirdly, the issue of the fight against the "Islamic state".
Putin said that Russia would help the Syrian President Bashar Assad in the fight against IG, but participation in a ground military operation against extremists is out of the question.
“We believe that the work on the fight against terror should go along with the political processes in Syria itself, but there is no talk of any participation of Russian military units in ground operations,” the president told reporters.
“As for our participation, we are thinking about it. We do not exclude anything, but if we act, then only in full compliance with the norms of international law ", - added the head of state and recalled that from this point of view, the military operations of the United States and its allies in Syria are illegal.
Putin also criticized the policies and statements of the United States and France regarding Syria: “I have great respect for my colleagues - both the American President and the French - but they, as I know and I think, are not citizens of the Syrian Republic therefore, they are unlikely to take part in determining the fate of the leadership of another state. This is after all the Syrians themselves. ”
Then the president recalled the comparison of the “IG” with the Nazis and noted that there is a justification for it: after all, terrorists are committing atrocities. “And I would very much like, understanding this, to unite as many countries as possible in the fight against this threat,” Putin noted. For such purposes, Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq have created a focal point, where information will be collected to fight extremists. The center, according to the president, “is open for all those who are interested in the fight against terrorism to join it. We are now talking about the interaction of the United States and Russia on this anti-terrorism track. We have an understanding that it is necessary to strengthen our work, at least on a bilateral basis. We will now think together about the creation of appropriate mechanisms. ”
A similar work, Putin continued, will be conducted with Israel, but without creating special structures. Among other countries in the region that could participate, Putin listed Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan.
Finally, Putin called a mistake US refusal to cooperate with the current Syrian authorities, who are "really fighting terrorism".
Fourthly, the fate of Bashar al-Assad and the permanent American theme "Assad must go."
The Russian president criticized the sharp attacks not only of Obama, but also of Francois Hollande, made by those addressed to Bashar Assad personally. The American president called the president of Syria a tyrant, and the second insulted the name "executioner". Putin reminded both of them that the people should decide the fate of Syria. As for Assad, the Syrian President is ready for political negotiations. "Russia will insist on political transformation", - summarized Putin.
Fifth, Ukraine.
“As for the possibility of more active participation of the United States in resolving the conflict over Ukraine, the United States is already actively involved in this, although this is not highlighted as the work of Russia, France and Germany in the framework of the“ Norman format. ” Nevertheless, the United States is to a certain extent behind the back of the Kiev authorities, they are in constant contact with the Europeans, but we have good business contacts between Russia and the United States through the Foreign Ministry and the State Department on an ongoing basis. Today’s consultations have shown that our American colleagues in the material fully and fully, and, of course, influence this process. ”- сообщил journalists leader of Russia.
Since B.H. Obama did not comment on the outcome of the meeting, the press tried to get information from the “sources”. "BBC" referring to the representative of the White House, writes that, referring to the Ukrainian issue, Obama expressed his concern to Putin about the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the intention of the leadership of the self-proclaimed republics to hold elections.
In short, here are also familiar democratic mantras.
Overall rating Putin’s talks: “Today’s conversation, I have already said, was very constructive, businesslike and surprisingly very frank.”
Thus, it can be noted that the main topics of the talks were the situations in Ukraine and Syria, and in both cases there are differences in approaches. If there are common moments, they are not substantive, but only formal: with regard to Ukraine, these are the so-called Minsk agreements, which are constantly being repeated both in the United States and in Russia, and in relation to Syria - a possible joint struggle with the "IG". True, both here and there are a lot of contradictions, since both sides see the fulfillment of the agreements by the “Ukrainian parties” in different ways, and in Syria, the US and its allies are ready to fight simultaneously with IS and Assad, and nothing else, and Russia believes that the army of the legitimate president Assad is fighting the terrorists, and therefore he should be helped. We think that such a tangle of contradictions cannot be unraveled. It is clear that neither the United States nor Russia will make concessions.
In essence, at the talks, the two presidents repeated in the main their speeches delivered from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, Barack Obama accused the Kremlin of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The president of Russia, in turn, chided Washington for the hegemonic desire to solve world problems alone. Is there really no agreement? It might have seemed to someone that the two presidents found common ground in the fight against IS, but it was not there: they agreed that yes, it was necessary to “resolve the situation” in Syria, but they did not come to a unified approach towards this "settlement". This is not surprising: Russia helps Assad, Washington dreams of Assad to overthrow. As a result, there is not and cannot be any general approach to resolving the conflict: the parties take diametrically opposed positions.
B.H. Obama voiced his ideal in speech. According to him, America "cannot alone solve the problems of the entire planet." He even criticized his native America: the war in Iraq allowed the country to "learn complex lessons." Washington realized that "without assistance with other countries, we will not succeed." Next, Obama saddled your favorite liberal democratic ridge: “The dictatorship is unstable. Today’s dictators turn into a spark for revolution. You can put opponents, but the idea can not be planted. " He added: “We need to move forward in upholding the ideals. Strong countries are responsible for upholding just such an international order. ”
Oh, how everything is clear and transparent here, let us add: the ideal is American, the order in the world is American, and it must be “defended” by the entire planet!
It is not noticeable, by the way, that the United States is responsible for those bombings, the overthrow of governments and civil wars, which they constantly commit here and there (examples are known to all). Obama's sadness about Iraq or sadness because of the torture at Guantanamo does not count. Sadness, you know, will not replace responsibility.
However, Obama also boasted of America’s “peaceful” achievements. Of these, exactly 1 (one) was found. The American president cited the example of a nuclear agreement with Iran: "When sanctions were imposed on him, the goal was not to punish Iran, but to change its course." True, Obama's "Iranian theses" turned out to be only a prelude to a new chapter. In it, Obama told the public about the sanctions for Russia: “Think about the annexation by Russia of the Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine. The United States has an understanding of the deep connection between Russia and Ukraine, but we cannot stand aside when it comes to the violation of territorial integrity. This (sanctions) is not a desire to return to the “cold war,” although the Russian media, which are under state control, can say that. ”
Well, of course, the Nobel laureate Obama is not a supporter of the war, he seeks peace, but what does Russia want after violating the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine? Therefore - sanctions. And they give the result, Obama believes: “Because of them, the movement of capital has stopped, the economy has slowed down, well-educated Russians emigrate. We insist that the Ukrainian crisis be resolved through diplomacy — that would be better for both Russia and Ukraine. ”
In short, the “Ukrainian” approach of Washington is extremely clear: they will deal with Russia for years in the same way as with Iran, tightening and extending “educational measures”. In principle, there can be no other approach, no compromise and recognition of Crimea to Russia. Changes in Russia's position on this issue cannot be either. And this was confirmed by both the speeches of the presidents and their personal talks.
In Syria, the leaders of the two worlds also do not agree. If one supports the legitimate authority in Syria, and the other repeats the mantra from Hillary Clinton (“Assad must leave”), how can they come to an agreement?
The cold war is on, no matter what Mr. Obama says.
The main topics of the meeting of the two presidents were, of course, Ukraine and Syria. It is around Ukraine and Syria that both the problems of mutual mistrust between Russia and the United States and the points of contact are lined up.
The presidents talked directly about Russian-American relations going through a difficult period. Obviously, there is no warming in the near future. Rather, a cooling is planned. America will "push" sanctions, Russia will bravely hold on.
We highlight the main thing that is known about the negotiations of the two presidents.
First, the policy of Western "isolation" and sanctions against Russia.
Following a meeting with US President Barack Obama at the UN headquarters, Vladimir Putin saidthat the sanctions policy does not reach its goals, and isolation against Russia is impossible: “From the very beginning, we said that the policy of sanctions and isolation, it is generally ineffective in the modern world, and its goals, as a rule, are not achieved.”
According to the president, isolation is impossible with respect to Russia, “it is enough to at least look at a geographic map.”
Secondly, the relationship between Washington and Moscow.
It's all just two or two: the relationship is bad. And Moscow is not to blame.
“Relations between Russia and the United States, unfortunately, are at a fairly low level, but this is not our initiative,” delicately сказал Putin.
According to him, this is bad for bilateral and international relations.
Thirdly, the issue of the fight against the "Islamic state".
Putin said that Russia would help the Syrian President Bashar Assad in the fight against IG, but participation in a ground military operation against extremists is out of the question.
“We believe that the work on the fight against terror should go along with the political processes in Syria itself, but there is no talk of any participation of Russian military units in ground operations,” the president told reporters.
“As for our participation, we are thinking about it. We do not exclude anything, but if we act, then only in full compliance with the norms of international law ", - added the head of state and recalled that from this point of view, the military operations of the United States and its allies in Syria are illegal.
Putin also criticized the policies and statements of the United States and France regarding Syria: “I have great respect for my colleagues - both the American President and the French - but they, as I know and I think, are not citizens of the Syrian Republic therefore, they are unlikely to take part in determining the fate of the leadership of another state. This is after all the Syrians themselves. ”
Then the president recalled the comparison of the “IG” with the Nazis and noted that there is a justification for it: after all, terrorists are committing atrocities. “And I would very much like, understanding this, to unite as many countries as possible in the fight against this threat,” Putin noted. For such purposes, Russia, Syria, Iran and Iraq have created a focal point, where information will be collected to fight extremists. The center, according to the president, “is open for all those who are interested in the fight against terrorism to join it. We are now talking about the interaction of the United States and Russia on this anti-terrorism track. We have an understanding that it is necessary to strengthen our work, at least on a bilateral basis. We will now think together about the creation of appropriate mechanisms. ”
A similar work, Putin continued, will be conducted with Israel, but without creating special structures. Among other countries in the region that could participate, Putin listed Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan.
Finally, Putin called a mistake US refusal to cooperate with the current Syrian authorities, who are "really fighting terrorism".
Fourthly, the fate of Bashar al-Assad and the permanent American theme "Assad must go."
The Russian president criticized the sharp attacks not only of Obama, but also of Francois Hollande, made by those addressed to Bashar Assad personally. The American president called the president of Syria a tyrant, and the second insulted the name "executioner". Putin reminded both of them that the people should decide the fate of Syria. As for Assad, the Syrian President is ready for political negotiations. "Russia will insist on political transformation", - summarized Putin.
Fifth, Ukraine.
“As for the possibility of more active participation of the United States in resolving the conflict over Ukraine, the United States is already actively involved in this, although this is not highlighted as the work of Russia, France and Germany in the framework of the“ Norman format. ” Nevertheless, the United States is to a certain extent behind the back of the Kiev authorities, they are in constant contact with the Europeans, but we have good business contacts between Russia and the United States through the Foreign Ministry and the State Department on an ongoing basis. Today’s consultations have shown that our American colleagues in the material fully and fully, and, of course, influence this process. ”- сообщил journalists leader of Russia.
Since B.H. Obama did not comment on the outcome of the meeting, the press tried to get information from the “sources”. "BBC" referring to the representative of the White House, writes that, referring to the Ukrainian issue, Obama expressed his concern to Putin about the implementation of the Minsk agreements and the intention of the leadership of the self-proclaimed republics to hold elections.
In short, here are also familiar democratic mantras.
Overall rating Putin’s talks: “Today’s conversation, I have already said, was very constructive, businesslike and surprisingly very frank.”
Thus, it can be noted that the main topics of the talks were the situations in Ukraine and Syria, and in both cases there are differences in approaches. If there are common moments, they are not substantive, but only formal: with regard to Ukraine, these are the so-called Minsk agreements, which are constantly being repeated both in the United States and in Russia, and in relation to Syria - a possible joint struggle with the "IG". True, both here and there are a lot of contradictions, since both sides see the fulfillment of the agreements by the “Ukrainian parties” in different ways, and in Syria, the US and its allies are ready to fight simultaneously with IS and Assad, and nothing else, and Russia believes that the army of the legitimate president Assad is fighting the terrorists, and therefore he should be helped. We think that such a tangle of contradictions cannot be unraveled. It is clear that neither the United States nor Russia will make concessions.
In essence, at the talks, the two presidents repeated in the main their speeches delivered from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly.
In his speech, Barack Obama accused the Kremlin of violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine. The president of Russia, in turn, chided Washington for the hegemonic desire to solve world problems alone. Is there really no agreement? It might have seemed to someone that the two presidents found common ground in the fight against IS, but it was not there: they agreed that yes, it was necessary to “resolve the situation” in Syria, but they did not come to a unified approach towards this "settlement". This is not surprising: Russia helps Assad, Washington dreams of Assad to overthrow. As a result, there is not and cannot be any general approach to resolving the conflict: the parties take diametrically opposed positions.
B.H. Obama voiced his ideal in speech. According to him, America "cannot alone solve the problems of the entire planet." He even criticized his native America: the war in Iraq allowed the country to "learn complex lessons." Washington realized that "without assistance with other countries, we will not succeed." Next, Obama saddled your favorite liberal democratic ridge: “The dictatorship is unstable. Today’s dictators turn into a spark for revolution. You can put opponents, but the idea can not be planted. " He added: “We need to move forward in upholding the ideals. Strong countries are responsible for upholding just such an international order. ”
Oh, how everything is clear and transparent here, let us add: the ideal is American, the order in the world is American, and it must be “defended” by the entire planet!
It is not noticeable, by the way, that the United States is responsible for those bombings, the overthrow of governments and civil wars, which they constantly commit here and there (examples are known to all). Obama's sadness about Iraq or sadness because of the torture at Guantanamo does not count. Sadness, you know, will not replace responsibility.
However, Obama also boasted of America’s “peaceful” achievements. Of these, exactly 1 (one) was found. The American president cited the example of a nuclear agreement with Iran: "When sanctions were imposed on him, the goal was not to punish Iran, but to change its course." True, Obama's "Iranian theses" turned out to be only a prelude to a new chapter. In it, Obama told the public about the sanctions for Russia: “Think about the annexation by Russia of the Crimea and the eastern part of Ukraine. The United States has an understanding of the deep connection between Russia and Ukraine, but we cannot stand aside when it comes to the violation of territorial integrity. This (sanctions) is not a desire to return to the “cold war,” although the Russian media, which are under state control, can say that. ”
Well, of course, the Nobel laureate Obama is not a supporter of the war, he seeks peace, but what does Russia want after violating the “territorial integrity” of Ukraine? Therefore - sanctions. And they give the result, Obama believes: “Because of them, the movement of capital has stopped, the economy has slowed down, well-educated Russians emigrate. We insist that the Ukrainian crisis be resolved through diplomacy — that would be better for both Russia and Ukraine. ”
In short, the “Ukrainian” approach of Washington is extremely clear: they will deal with Russia for years in the same way as with Iran, tightening and extending “educational measures”. In principle, there can be no other approach, no compromise and recognition of Crimea to Russia. Changes in Russia's position on this issue cannot be either. And this was confirmed by both the speeches of the presidents and their personal talks.
In Syria, the leaders of the two worlds also do not agree. If one supports the legitimate authority in Syria, and the other repeats the mantra from Hillary Clinton (“Assad must leave”), how can they come to an agreement?
The cold war is on, no matter what Mr. Obama says.
Observed and commented on Oleg Chuvakin
- especially for topwar.ru
- especially for topwar.ru
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