HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK
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Argumenty i Fakty
No. 52, December 2001
RUSSIA-US: GENERALS DISSATISFIED BY THE "CLOSE FRIENDSHIP" Putin wants
to avoid possible conflicts in the future
Author: not indicated
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
AFTER AFGHANISTAN, PRESIDENT BUSH MIGHT ALSO DECIDE TO PUNISH SOMALIA,
IRAQ, YEMEN, OR SUDAN. HOWEVER, RUSSIA THINKS THIS COULD REALLY HAPPEN,
AND WANTS TO DRAW UP A TREATY WHICH WOULD SET OUT THE MECHANISM A
SETTLING SIMILAR CONFLICTS IN THE FUTURE.
George Bush's announcement that the US withdraws from the ABM
Treaty was not a surprise for Russia. During the meeting at the Texas
rancho the U.S. president told Vladimir Putin that he had made such a
decision and proposed Moscow to seek for a way out of the situation by
its own. Moreover, it is said that George Bush intended to make a public
announcement of withdrawal from the ABM Treaty yet while in Texas, but
our diplomats dissuaded him from doing so.
After this move by the US, Russia found itself in a very difficult
position. In order to maintain the appearance that Russia's views are
taken into account, we have to persuade the Americans to at least resume
consultations on the issue. Any rumor that missiles with multiple
warheads might be deployed, or we might withdraw from the Conventional
Arms Treaty is nothing more than rhetoric. Nobody in the West takes it
seriously.
Another problem arose inside the country. The discontent of the
situation in which our country may found itself after the US withdraws
from the ABM Treaty has been growing among the generals and inside the
General Staff, our sources reported. The military keeps saying that the
Americans will deceive us, while talking sweetly of friendship. Defense
minister may also suffer from them. Even rumors of Defense Minister
Sergei Ivanov's possible dismissal started circulating last week.
Meanwhile, Putin's position, even though it is not made clear, is
as
follows: for Russia a coalition with the US and NATO member states,
which has taken shape as a result of joint efforts against the Taliban,
is much more significant than retention of the ABM Treaty.
At the same time the authorities do not rule out a possible quarrel
with the US. After Afghanistan, if George Bush should decide to punish
Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, or Sudan, the Kremlin will be forced to oppose
this strongly. Therefore, in his negotiations with President Bush,
President putin keeps insisting on some sort of official treaty between
Russia and the US should be signed, which would set out the mechanism of
consultations and resolution of similar conflicts between the states.
(Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin )
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