Obama tells Russia to move from old ways of thinking

BARACK OBAMA set out his vision for a new post-cold war world yesterday, urging Russia not to interfere in neighbouring states and to move on “from old ways of thinking”.

On his first trip to Russia as US president, Mr Obama called on Moscow to stop viewing the US as an adversary. The assumption that Russia and the US were eternal antagonists was a “20th-century view” rooted in the past, he said.

He delivered a tough, though implicit, critique of Kremlin foreign policy, rejecting the claim that it had “privileged interests” in post-Soviet countries. He said the 19th-century doctrine of spheres of influence and “great powers forging competing blocs” was finished.

“In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonising other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over,” he told graduates from Moscow’s New Economic School.

“As I said in Cairo, given our interdependence, any world order that tries to elevate one nation or group of people over another will inevitably fail. That is why I have called for a ‘reset’ in relations between the United States and Russia. America wants a strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia.”

Mr Obama acknowledged the US needed to play its part in bringing about a fresh start with Russia – a “great power”.

He paid tribute to the achievements of Russian writers and scientists, even quoting Pushkin when he told the students: “Inspiration is needed in geometry just as much as in poetry.”

Crucially, though, he indicated Washington would not tolerate another Russian invasion of Georgia. Russia has been staging full-scale military exercises next to the Georgian border amid ominous predictions that a second conflict in the Caucasus could erupt this summer.

On Monday, Mr Obama reaffirmed Georgia’s sovereignty – severely undermined by last year’s war and Moscow’s subsequent unilateral recognition of rebel-held Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states. Yesterday, Mr Obama defended “state sovereignty”, describing it as “a cornerstone of international order”.

He also said Georgia and Ukraine had a right to choose their own foreign policy and leaders, and could join Nato if they wanted.

Russia is opposed to Ukraine’s and Georgia’s accession and wants the White House to rule out their future membership.

Yesterday Mr Obama responded by saying Nato sought collaboration with Russia, not confrontation.

Earlier, Mr Obama had breakfast with Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin, who many regard as Russia’s real ruler.

Last week, Mr Obama described Mr Putin as having “one foot in the past”. But yesterday he talked to him for 2½ hours – longer than planned and an admission of Mr Putin’s continuing importance.

The meeting, their first, had been “excellent”, Mr Obama said.

However, during his speech, Mr Obama delivered a withering assessment of Putinism. Without mentioning Russia by name, Mr Obama spelled out the US’s commitment to “universal values”.

These included the rule of law, the equal administration of justice, and competitive elections – all missing from Mr Putin’s vertically managed authoritarian state. Mr Obama also stressed the importance of “independent media in exposing corruption at all levels of business and government”.

Russia’s state-controlled television has largely snubbed Mr Obama’s first trip to Moscow, apparently on Kremlin orders.

On Monday, Mr Obama and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev agreed a framework document that would see both sides cut their nuclear arsenals by up to a third.

Yesterday Mr Obama warned again of the dangers of nuclear proliferation and urged Moscow to join with the US to stop Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and to end North Korea’s nuclear efforts.

He reaffirmed that the US would only go ahead with its planned missile defence shield in Europe – opposed by the Kremlin – if there was an Iranian nuclear “threat”.

Later, Mr Obama met former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. – (Guardian service)