Why?
Posted by: Donna
President Medvedev on President Obama:
I would like to see them better than they are today. But today they are better than they were yesterday. The truth of the matter is, one year ago, I got an impression that our relations had hit a dead end, they almost slid to the level of the cold war. I don’t want to blame anybody…The bottom line is, we didn’t want that to happen. What really matters is to see to it that the number of differences between our countries, our politicians, be smaller. I am very comfortable with communication with the President of the United States for several reasons. We are of the same generation, we had the same kind of education. When I was a postgraduate student, I read legal reviews at the time that were edited by Barack Obama. Had I known he was an editor, I would have read them more attentively.
The mindset is important. Today, when I’m communicating with the U.S. president, I get the feeling that he’s attentively listening. He doesn’t preach to you as a mentor, which is not very nice. When you are preaching to others, it’s not nice. People like him not only here in the United States but in other countries as well. So he’s managed to do certain things that others have failed to do. I believe if personal relations between the leaders are good, then it will be easier to build better relations for the future.
(For example), a recent decision by the President of the United States regarding forgoing the third site on ABM missile defense. Of course, this decision was determined by Barack Obama’s mindset. It was not pro-Russia nor pro-Chinese nor pro-Europe, this was an American decision. What’s important is Barack Obama listened to my position. Perhaps it was part of the basis for his decision. We are learning to listen to each other. This is a change from the previous administration. I think these are bold, courageous decisions, to change decisions of previous administrations concerning foreign policy. This was a complex decision. I tried to put myself in his shoes. It would not have been easy for me. It deserves our respect. We don’t know what will happen next, but if we are continually attentive to each other, our relations will have a good future.
That’s why.
Congratulations on your Nobel Peace Prize, Mr. President.
(H/T to my message board friend who posted that quote earlier today)
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Pretty prescient of the Nobel nominating committee to have foreseen The Great One’s stance on non-proliferation and ABM defense. To know the reassuring effect he’d have on dictators and thugs around the world back in February is pretty amazing. It took the American people much longer to figure him out.
Pretty predictable response from a teabagger troll.
Why discuss when you can dismiss. It’s your standard MO.
Donna, you were prescient with your post. For those who didn’t catch it, here’s Rachel Maddow’s more detailed explanation of “why:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMJuEOaF84o