Russia has made so many noises in recent weeks about its optimism about US President Barack Obama's new administration and the positive turns its holds for US-Russia relations that one was almost inclined to believe today's announcement about Russia's 'olive branch' to the US. Russia, went the story, was to halt its initial plan to retaliate against the proposed US missile defense shield by stationing its own missiles near Europe's border. A NATO spokesperson cautiously said that such a move would be 'a very positive step'. Indeed it would.
But don't believe it just yet... According to the Financial Times:
...in direct contradiction to the official quoted by the Telegraph, who said that:
But don't believe it just yet... According to the Financial Times:
a high-ranking source in the defence ministry later dismissed the report as "rubbish".
...in direct contradiction to the official quoted by the Telegraph, who said that:
"The implementation of these plans has been halted in connection with the fact that the new US administration is not rushing through plans to deploy" elements of its missile defence shield in eastern Europe.Your guess is as good as mine...
There's no doubting Obama's projected integrity, but isn't this global hype perhaps a bit too strong?
http://musingsforamodernworld.blogspot.com/2009/01/obama-hysteria-founded-or-fickle.html
"Projected integrity" -- great! That may well turn out to be the buzzword of the Obama presidency.
Meanwhile, not a word about Ukraine, not a word about race killings, not a word about Markelov, not a word about any substantive policy designed to stand up for human rights in Russia.
Maybe "hypothetical hope" will be another key term where Obama is concerned.