- Jan 8, 2007
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MOSCOW -- Russian President Dmitry Medvedev struck a Cold War tone on Tuesday, pledging to press ahead with an ambitious rearmament program in response to what he described as NATO's military expansion close to Russia's borders.
His hawkish comments come ahead of his first meeting with President Barack Obama early next month at the Group of 20 meeting, and were paired with even tougher rhetoric from Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. Mr. Serdyukov accused the U.S. of trying to push Russia out of its traditional sphere of influence -- the former Soviet Union -- in order to secure raw materials and energy supplies.
Analysts said the comments were designed to send a signal to Mr. Obama that the Kremlin wouldn't be an easy negotiating partner.
"It's more a message to America: Don't take us for granted," said Nikolai Zlobin, a senior fellow at the World Security Institute, a Washington think tank. "Medvedev is trying to create leverage and certain spaces that he can give up later, calling it a compromise."
The U.S. reaction was muted. Obama administration spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "is a collective defense organization. I think to suggest that it poses an offensive military threat is simply wrong."
Mr. Gibbs said Mr. Obama "looks forward to meeting with President Medvedev in London at the beginning of the G-20 economic summit" in April.
The Obama administration has said it hopes for a qualitative improvement, or "reset," in U.S.-Russia relations, which have been severely strained in recent years. On the agenda: a key nuclear-arms control treaty, Iran's nuclear program, NATO enlargement, and a possible U.S. missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe.
"I have not heard any alarm in this building about any proposed Russian buildup of its military," said Department of Defense spokesman Geoff Morrell. "We enjoy a good military-to-military relationship with the Russians. ... As long as we have a good dialogue and a good understanding of what we are both developing our militaries for, I don't see that it poses a problem or a threat."
U.S. foreign policy in the former Soviet Union is also at issue, and Tuesday's comments from Moscow appeared to be a reference to Georgia, against which Russia fought a short, victorious war last summer. The U.S. supplied Georgia with military training and uniforms, while former President George W. Bush was a vocal supporter of U.S.-educated Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Kremlin appears to want Washington to know it has neither forgotten nor forgiven that backing.
"Active support was given to the processes aimed at pushing Russia out of the sphere of its traditional interests," Mr. Serdyukov said in his speech to Russia's top military officers in Moscow.
At the same event, Mr. Medvedev pledged to stay the course with a large-scale rearmament program for the army and navy, to begin in 2011. He promised more military exercises, more and better Russian-made military hardware, and a revamped strategic nuclear rocket force.
The Russian president also vowed that the financial crisis roiling Russia wouldn't affect already-budgeted military upgrades. This year, Russia is spending a post-Soviet high of 1.5 trillion rubles, or about $43 billion, on new weapons.
Kremlin Signals a Harder Line on Relations With the U.S. - WSJ.com
His hawkish comments come ahead of his first meeting with President Barack Obama early next month at the Group of 20 meeting, and were paired with even tougher rhetoric from Russian Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov. Mr. Serdyukov accused the U.S. of trying to push Russia out of its traditional sphere of influence -- the former Soviet Union -- in order to secure raw materials and energy supplies.
Analysts said the comments were designed to send a signal to Mr. Obama that the Kremlin wouldn't be an easy negotiating partner.
"It's more a message to America: Don't take us for granted," said Nikolai Zlobin, a senior fellow at the World Security Institute, a Washington think tank. "Medvedev is trying to create leverage and certain spaces that he can give up later, calling it a compromise."
The U.S. reaction was muted. Obama administration spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Tuesday that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization "is a collective defense organization. I think to suggest that it poses an offensive military threat is simply wrong."
Mr. Gibbs said Mr. Obama "looks forward to meeting with President Medvedev in London at the beginning of the G-20 economic summit" in April.
The Obama administration has said it hopes for a qualitative improvement, or "reset," in U.S.-Russia relations, which have been severely strained in recent years. On the agenda: a key nuclear-arms control treaty, Iran's nuclear program, NATO enlargement, and a possible U.S. missile-defense shield in Eastern Europe.
"I have not heard any alarm in this building about any proposed Russian buildup of its military," said Department of Defense spokesman Geoff Morrell. "We enjoy a good military-to-military relationship with the Russians. ... As long as we have a good dialogue and a good understanding of what we are both developing our militaries for, I don't see that it poses a problem or a threat."
U.S. foreign policy in the former Soviet Union is also at issue, and Tuesday's comments from Moscow appeared to be a reference to Georgia, against which Russia fought a short, victorious war last summer. The U.S. supplied Georgia with military training and uniforms, while former President George W. Bush was a vocal supporter of U.S.-educated Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
The Kremlin appears to want Washington to know it has neither forgotten nor forgiven that backing.
"Active support was given to the processes aimed at pushing Russia out of the sphere of its traditional interests," Mr. Serdyukov said in his speech to Russia's top military officers in Moscow.
At the same event, Mr. Medvedev pledged to stay the course with a large-scale rearmament program for the army and navy, to begin in 2011. He promised more military exercises, more and better Russian-made military hardware, and a revamped strategic nuclear rocket force.
The Russian president also vowed that the financial crisis roiling Russia wouldn't affect already-budgeted military upgrades. This year, Russia is spending a post-Soviet high of 1.5 trillion rubles, or about $43 billion, on new weapons.
Kremlin Signals a Harder Line on Relations With the U.S. - WSJ.com
