| US Ambassador in Moscow Alexander Vershbow made
quite a statement today. Interviewed by Izvestiya newspaper, he
warned Russia that if a veto of the new resolution at the UN Security
Council could result in curtailing [Russian-US] cooperation in many
areas...
Sergey Karaganov, head of the Council for Foreign and Defence
Policy, believes that the American administration, or some of
its members, are now on the verge of panic and therefore issuing
such statements.
Karaganov: They realize that they have lost the information
and propaganda war and that support for their policies on Iraq
has waned since two or three months ago. Consequently, desperate
efforts are being taken to secure at least external signs of support
for their actions, if such actions are taken. But I still hope
that the Americans will define their interests soberly, set emotions
to one side and understand that in this particular situation postponing
the operation is not a defeat but a major victory, which the whole
world will greet with applause.
If we turn to the statements [by Vershbow] that certain programmes
will be scrapped, few such programmes exist. The scrapping of
some of them - cooperation in space and a number of economic programmes
- may be painful for Russia. However, most of these programmes,
for instance the much-talked-about collaboration in power engineering,
have so far been of a political and virtual nature. At this stage
this is a statement of intent: so we can hardly speak here about
any serious economic damage.
Anchor: Vladimir
Lukin, former Russian ambassador to the USA and now deputy
speaker of the State Duma, believes that the US ambassador should
have refrained from such an interview. Lukin suggested that it
would be better to work together in all the areas.
Lukin: I think the tone is hardly appropriate in relations
between our countries. I presume that when Ambassador Vershbow
was saying this he must have realized that he was using the future
tense all the time. The future tense has been in use in talks
between Russia and the USA for a considerable time. This conversation
should be totally different. We should recall what was promised
and not done and every case when we were told it would be fine
in future, but nothing actually happened. I think that this interview
was, therefore, a mistake. In general, I oppose any public exchange
of unpleasantness. I'm not very happy about the constant reiteration
by the Russian Foreign Ministry in public that we would use our
veto. It may or may not be used, depending on the degree to which
the resolution drawn up by the USA and Great Britain is acceptable
or not. It is still being drafted, after all. But the USA is making
a mistake by publicly announcing how it plans to punish Russia.
This merely stirs up passions. I think that at the moment we should
work on the resolution that has been put forward. I don't think
Russia should heed any warnings of this kind, but should act far
more diplomatically than at present, while adhering to the same
positions.
See also:
Situation
Around Iraq
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