By the Associated Press in the New York Post October 15, 2016
UNITED NATIONS — Russia’s U.N. ambassador said that tensions with the United States are probably the worst since the 1973 Mideast war.
But Vitaly Churkin said Friday that Cold War relations between the Soviet Union and Russia more than 40 years ago were different than U.S.-Russia relations today.
“The general situation I think is pretty bad at this point, probably the worst … since 1973,” he said.
Churkin said that “even though we have serious frictions, differences like Syria, we continue to work on other issues … and sometimes quite well.”
That wasn’t the case generally during the Cold War.
When Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack against Israel on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar in 1973, the Mideast was thrown into turmoil. And according to historians, the threat of war between the Soviet Union, which backed the Arabs, and the United States, Israel’s closest ally, was the highest since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.
Churkin said there are “a string of things” that have brought U.S.-Russian relations to their current low point.
“It’s kind of a fundamental lack of respect and lack of in-depth discussions” on political issues, he said.
Churkin pointed to the U.S. and NATO deciding to build their security “at the expense of Russia” by accepting many East European nations formerly in the Soviet bloc as NATO members, and the United States pullout from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2001.
One of “the greatest provocations” during President George W. Bush’s administration was the 2008 NATO summit, which decided that Ukraine and Georgia should become NATO members, he said.
Most important, he said, was the conflict that erupted in eastern Ukraine in April 2014, weeks after a former Moscow-friendly Ukrainian president was chased from power by massive protests.
Churkin called it “a coup” supported by the United States. Soon after, Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which has led to Western sanctions against Moscow.
Ties between Washington and Moscow have deteriorated further in the past month after the collapse of a cease-fire in Syria and intensified bombing on Aleppo by Syrian and Russian aircraft, and U.S. accusations that Russia is meddling in the U.S. presidential election next month.
By contrast, Churkin pointed to agreements in the U.N. Security Council in recent years supported by Moscow and Washington, even on Syria — allowing cross-border aid deliveries without government approval and establishing a team of experts to determine responsibility for chemical weapons attacks in the country. He also cited council resolutions to combat terrorism.
The United States and Russia were also key players in last year’s nuclear deal with Iran, and last week they agreed on the Security Council’s nomination of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres as the next U.N. secretary-general, which Churkin said was “maybe the best success of the Security Council in the last five years.” Guterres was elected by acclamation Thursday by the General Assembly.
Chukin said Russia would like to normalize relations with the United States.
“If the change of administration is going to help, that’s fine,” he said. But even if President Barack Obama stayed for another term, which he is barred from doing, “we would be pushed to trying to get back to normal in our relations.”
(There is actual a chance of a war with Russia if Hillary is elected. The Necons have all lined up with her. She is perfectly capable of starting a war to distract from her own criminal activity. Her husband did it. It is their go to move. The interventionists and the neocons and all the usual foreign policy experts will come up with some bullshit that we can't take and she will blunder us into a shooting war. Just as she did in Libya. Just as she did in Syria. Just as the Bushes did in Iraq. Instead of running America's foriegn policy for the benifit of Americans she will become the worlds policeman. The worlds scolding Nurse Ratched who will have to do something to distract the public from her malfeasnace and courrption.
On the other hand Donald Trump might have said he wanted to grab some bimbo's pussy.)
13 comments:
"There is actual a chance of a war with Russia if Hillary is elected. The Necons have all lined up with her. She is perfectly capable of starting a war to distract from her own criminal activity. Her husband did it. It is their go to move. The interventionists and the neocons and all the usual foreign policy experts will come up with some bullshit that we can't take and she will blunder us into a shooting war."
Nice point.
She might also try it to rally the country behind her. She knows people don't trust her or like her.
There's also another issue. She sees herself as a feminist, as tough as any man. FDR had a war, HST had a war, LBJ had a war, so she needs to have one.
Remember the words of Judi Dench as Pierce Brosnan's M, "Don't think I don't have the balls to send a man to his death".
Of course, a lot of weaklings have sent men to their deaths.
Who is the bevy of blue-hatted davotchkas?
Paratroopers or GRU.
Probably airborne.
“It’s kind of a fundamental lack of respect and lack of in-depth discussions” on political issues, he said.
This.
It sums up the Obama Administration in its entirety. All of it. This is why tensions are higher in the US as well. People can blame Trump, but Trump has nothing to do with tensions with Russia. If you think otherwise, and try at all to convince anyone; I suggest you are showing a fundamental lack of respect and lack of in-depth understanding of the problem the US is facing with Russia.
Hillary probably wants a smaller war, because she is a bully and bullies are cowards. She is incompetent enough to let a small conflict escalate to confrontation with Russia.
Everybody always thinks it will be a small, quick, manageable war.
The Krauts were supposed to be in Moscow in September.
OK, kook time.
Putin doesn't want full war with the US, we'd kick his ass long term. Just look at the numbers.
He wants the bitch in office, cause they talk the same language. Have the same goals. Share the same aspirations.
We have no clue to how far we have been infiltrated. Well, other than the obvious... media, academia, politicians.
Masterfully done.
They're smart bastards, those Russkies.
Might be some misspelling above.
AA. I much agree with your analysis of the current situation.
OTOH, how/who would be saying these words. Not any of the other 13 persons on that initial stage, I suspect.
I didn't/don't like the man. But damn if he isn't speaking truth to power. Yes, he may lose. But even that loss gives some minuscule spark of hope.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFQcZMGe4p0
I mean really, Huey Long in reverse, or something.
How dare Russia be a white country!
--Barry Ovomit
I'm not sure I really see how it matters, frankly. Russia's much weaker than it was then, and not on a much better path for itself or the world, anyway.
XRay - Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything Trump is reading, written for him probably by someone at Breitbart. He's 100% on. I've been railing about The corrupt Democrat Media Industrial Complex for YEARS.
However, why can't Trump speak to this issue with fire in his belly - on his own? Where was this Trump on this issue in the beginning? He spoke of a big wall, then climbed off it. He insulted the GOP, the Democrat Industrial Complex loved that. Which is why they gave him so much free air time. Sadly, the same media that promoted him, is now starving him of oxygen. All of his words only flow to the insider camp blind-faithful who are already in his camp.
We didn't think this thru, nor did he, and here we are, mid October. He better take all that money has is supposedly receiving and do something with it. This thing isn't going to drag out into December.
@AA. "We didn't think this thru, nor did he..."
I do think that is a big part of the problem, his campaign has that feel of just winging it from day to day. It's been effective, to a point, but will it be effective enough. That's the question.
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