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One Step Forward...Two Steps Back

By Thomas Jeffrey

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Article Posted: Sunday April 6, 2008

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In yet another example of the schizophrenic thought process employed by the Bush Administration when it comes to foreign policy, the Smirking POTUS this past week came out and endorsed the idea of allowing Ukraine and Georgia — two former eastern-bloc countries — to join NATO; a move that Russia vehemently opposed and by all accounts a majority of NATO countries were against.

The schizophrenia part comes into play when it was just two weeks ago that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Robert Gates went to Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Mini Me, Dmitry Medvedev. The U.S. delegation, with hat in hand, was widely viewed as being somewhat contrite when compared to the confrontational rhetoric that has often flowed from the White House over the past few years. The results of those talks triggered what appeared to be a thaw in the ongoing stalemate between the two countries as to whether or not a missile defense shield may end up being deployed in eastern Europe, as Mr.Putin, who in the past has made no bones about his opposition to the plan, appeared more open to talking about the measure when he met with both Rice and Gates.

But Russia had also strongly opposed having any former members of the Soviet Union joining NATO, and after Mr. Bush’s heavy public lobbying for Georgia and Ukraine before the official vote — which, in the end, denied, for the time being, the two countries from gaining membership in the organization, it appears that the United States may be back to square one with its on-going chilly relations with Russia.

Ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know why I’m surprised — diplomatic subtly has never been one of this administration’s strong points.

Putin warns NATO expansion ‘is direct threat’ — The Australian

- posted by: Thomas Jeffrey and Apr 6, 08:58 PM in Bush-Administration

 

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