Dupa cum imi replica implicit un domn (persoana importanta, nu spui cine... desi exista google) cu cativa ani in urma, ce pacat ca n-am reusit sa omoram toti rusii in timpul razboiului rece, ba nici macar pe vremea lui Eltin... Uite-ai dreak cum ridica acum capu'...
On 7/15/07, Vali <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.1546329.0.fears_of_a_new_cold_war.php Fears of a new Cold War Tensions rise as Russia suspends key arms control treaty From Gabriel Ronay in Bucharest 8:58pm Saturday 14th July 2007 RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin has sent a warning shot against US foreign policy by suspending participation in a key arms treaty limiting the number of tanks and aircraft in Europe. Putin's move yesterday, suspending Russia's role in the Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) treaty, is seen as the most determined sign yet of Moscow's objection to US plans to site the proposed Star Wars missile defence system in the former Warsaw Pact territories of Poland and the Czech Republic. Just two months ago, Putin threatened to re-target the Kremlin's nuclear missiles on European cities in response to the US decision to site its defence system on Russia's doorstep. Putin's decree, which he said he signed because of "extraordinary circumstances affecting national security", signalled Russia's growing antagonism at President Bush's plans for a rocket defence system to intercept nuclear missiles aimed at the US. The Pentagon claims the shield of radar stations and interceptor missiles is intended to defend the US against rogue nations like Iran, but Russia and China say the system could upset the nuclear balance between the superpowers. The suspension of the CFE treaty is another marker of a worsening relationship between the US and its European allies on one side and Russia on the other, and one more sign of a more assertive Russian foreign policy ahead of parliamentary elections this autumn and a presidential election next spring. "Russian threats have materialised, and I don't exclude that more steps could follow," said Yevgeny Volk, the head of the Washington-based Heritage Foundation think-tank. "If there is no agreement with the US on the missile shield ... Russia could potentially go ahead with its threats to re-target and redeploy missiles." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia could no longer tolerate a situation where it was complying with the treaty but its partners were not, and said he hoped Russia's move would induce Western nations to ratify the updated treaty. "Such a situation contradicts Russia's interests," insisted Peskov. "Russia continues to expect that other nations that have signed the CFE will fulfil their obligations." The suspension will come into force 150 days after Russia officially notifies all the countries concerned. However, Russia's deputy foreign minister, Sergei Kislyak, stressed Moscow was not "shutting the door to dialogue". He said: "We have submitted to our partners proposals on ways out of the situation. And we continue to wait for a constructive reaction". But Nato spokesman James Appathurai said the alliance "regretted" Russia's decision, describing it as a step in the wrong direction. "If this is confirmed, the Nato secretary-general very much regrets this decision. The allies consider this treaty to be an important cornerstone of European security," he said. The White House too expressed "regret" at the the Kremlin's move. "We're disappointed Russia has suspended its participation for now, but we'll continue to have discussions with them in the coming months on the best way to proceed in this area," said US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe in a statement. The Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE) pact was adopted in 1990, at the end of the cold war, to limit the number of tanks, heavy artillery and combat aircraft deployed and stored between the Atlantic and Russia's Ural mountains. A major source of friction is Nato's insistence on preserving "flanking arrangements" which ban large concentrations of forces and materiel near some borders. The revised treaty has never been ratified by the Nato countries because they want Russia to withdraw all its forces from two breakaway regions with Russian-speaking majorities, Abkhazia in Georgia and Trans-Dniester in Moldova. Russia objects to that demand because it limits Russian troop movements within Russian territory, and Moscow says its border areas have become more unstable since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991. Moscow's suspension of participation in the CFE comes amid a wider deterioration of its relations with Western countries, involving Russian resentment at the spread of Nato eastwards, proposed independence for Serbia's Kosovo province, the Litvinenko poisoning affair in London and Western worries over dependence on Russian energy. Under the Russian constitution, President Putin is due to stand down next year but his tough foreign policy stance has made him incredibly popular domestically and restored Russian national pride. By taking control of natural resources, particularly oil and gas, the Russian state now has its hands on powerful economic levers with which it can influence the west and enrich the country. According to The Economist, Russian GDP has grown at 6% or 7% each year since 2003. Inflation fell to under 10% last year, and its trade balance has increased threefold in four years. Oil wealth has helped bring Russia back from the depths of impotence. A $200 billion military modernisation project over the next eight years, including updated nuclear missile systems, adds to Russia's new sense of heightened power. *(c)*2007 newsquest (sunday herald) limited ---------------------------- Vali * "Noble blood is an accident of fortune; noble actions are the chief mark of greatness." (Carlo Goldoni) **"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace." (Jimi Hendrix)* *ngo_list <http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ngo_list>: o alternativa moderata (un pic) la [ngolist]*
