#3
Argumenty i Fakty
No. 52, December 2001
RUSSIA-US: GENERALS DISSATISFIED BY THE "CLOSE
FRIENDSHIP
Putin wants to avoid possible conflicts in the future
Author: not indicated
[from WPS Monitoring Agency, www.wps.ru/e_index.html]
AFTER AFGHANISTAN, PRESIDENT BUSH MIGHT ALSO DECIDE TO PUNISH SOMALIA, IRAQ, YEMEN, OR SUDAN. HOWEVER, RUSSIA THINKS THIS COULD REALLY HAPPEN, AND WANTS TO DRAW UP A TREATY WHICH WOULD SET OUT THE MECHANISM A SETTLING SIMILAR CONFLICTS IN THE FUTURE.
George Bush's announcement that the US withdraws from the ABM Treaty was not a surprise for Russia. During the meeting at the Texas rancho the U.S. president told Vladimir Putin that he had made such a decision and proposed Moscow to seek for a way out of the situation by its own. Moreover, it is said that George Bush intended to make a public announcement of withdrawal from the ABM Treaty yet while in Texas, but our diplomats dissuaded him from doing so.
After this move by the US, Russia found itself in a very difficult position. In order to maintain the appearance that Russia's views are taken into account, we have to persuade the Americans to at least resume consultations on the issue. Any rumor that missiles with multiple warheads might be deployed, or we might withdraw from the Conventional Arms Treaty is nothing more than rhetoric. Nobody in the West takes it seriously.
Another problem arose inside the country. The discontent of the situation in which our country may found itself after the US withdraws from the ABM Treaty has been growing among the generals and inside the General Staff, our sources reported. The military keeps saying that the Americans will deceive us, while talking sweetly of friendship. Defense minister may also suffer from them. Even rumors of Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov's possible dismissal started circulating last week.
Meanwhile, Putin's position, even though it is not made clear, is as follows: for Russia a coalition with the US and NATO member states, which has taken shape as a result of joint efforts against the Taliban, is much more significant than retention of the ABM Treaty.
At the same time the authorities do not rule out a possible quarrel with the US. After Afghanistan, if George Bush should decide to punish Iraq, Somalia, Yemen, or Sudan, the Kremlin will be forced to oppose this strongly. Therefore, in his negotiations with President Bush, President putin keeps insisting on some sort of official treaty between Russia and the US should be signed, which would set out the mechanism of consultations and resolution of similar conflicts between the states.
(Translated by Andrei Ryabochkin )
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