You have to wonder if Russians just can’t help themselves sometimes. In September, the EU stated that they were done dealing with Moscow, and were suspending further talks due to the Georgia situation. They managed to hold out about 10 weeks before rolling over and accepting Russia’s claim that they had withdrawn from Georgia.
However, tens of thousands of Georgians were unable to return to their homes, and the EU turned a blind eye. Russia does what they want, apparently. Then they go about erecting their own version of the Berlin Wall in Georgia. They effectively bullied the entire EU into submission, and in Georgia they remain. No doubt emboldened by the lack of challengers, Medvedev wasted no time testing out the US president-elect:
A day after Mr. Obama’s election, Mr. Medvedev delivered his annual state-of-the union address to the Duma, but pointedly did not mention the election. Instead, he lashed out at U.S. foreign policy and threatened to deploy Russian SS-26 missiles in Kaliningrad, as close to Europe’s borders as possible, if Washington does not abandon plans for a ballistic missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Demand #1 from the “Ruskies” (that’s for you, Rob). Now let’s look at #2, regarding Iran.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said today in an interview with Bloomberg Television in Moscow. Asked if Obama would have to normalize ties with Iran to reach a nuclear agreement, he replied: “Yes, absolutely.”
The U.S. severed diplomatic relations with Iran after Islamic students seized the U.S. embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans for 444 days. Obama has pledged to pursue “direct diplomacy without preconditions” with Iran, which is suspected of seeking nuclear weapons by the U.S. and its European allies.
Clearly Iran is the more looming threat. Why does Russia care about US/Iran relations? Because they’re in the middle of building a nuclear reactor for them. Meanwhile, Iran continues to play with uranium – developing materials needed to form the core of a nuclear bomb. And why do they need nuclear power? For energy purposes, silly!
Right. I’m sure that’s it.
I don’t think Russia is to be underestimated. They are globetrotting, throwing around threats, and going largely unchallenged. They’re power-drunk (as well as, well, drunk) and big. The Obama/Biden administration has verbally acknowledged the situation and has attempted to ensure that they are watching closely and ready to act. Let’s hope he follows through with THAT part of his campaign rhetoric.
Here’s another perspective:
Russia is the fat kid on the football team that nobody likes. People put up with him cause he looks like he could beat you up and he tells everyone that his dad is some sort of injury lawyer or senator, but he goes home every night to the same doublewide and pisses away about how pathetic his life is.
Let’s hope that one’s a little closer to the truth. If not, I look forward to Russian bad guys returning to the movies.
