Departing Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart George W. Bush, who also has months to go to before his term ends, began their meeting last Saturday with a warm handshake and smiles at Putin's heavily wooded retreat in Sochi on the Black Sea.
The Sochi meeting came just days after NATO leaders agreed, at a summit in Romania, to invite Albania and Croatia to join the alliance. On the one hand, the alliance rebuffed U.S. attempts to invite Ukraine and Georgia – both former Soviet republics – to join NATO. However,their eventual admission is likely a development that Bush has actively championed over Putin's vocal objections.
In the twilight of their presidencies, Bush and Putin met in hopes of reversing years of declining relations; and leaving their successors a broad strategy for more cooperation and less confrontation. The list of grievances between the two sides is formidable.
U.S. missile defense plans remain one of the most contentious issues on a long list of security disputes. In addition, they also both recognize strong disagreements over NATO's eastward expansion. It is a matter of considerable concern to the Kremlin, as it watches the rapidly growing NATO military alliance push against its door.
Putin declared that there were no breakthrough solutions, but said "certain progress is obvious" in the long-term dispute on missile defenses. He was referring to U.S. concessions to assuage Russia's concerns. Despite the impasse, the two leaders agreed that Moscow and Washington would work together closely in the future on the missile defense system and other difficult issues.
Known for their blunt talk and candor, Putin and Bush have never been afraid to hide their differences. Their meeting will close a seven-year relationship that got off to a strong start, and was strengthened by cooperation after the September 11 attacks; but then turned rocky on differences ranging from the Iraq war to Kosovo's independence.
When asked whether there was any prospect of a breakthrough on missile defense before Bush leaves office next January, U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley said: "They can leave that to their prospective successors."
Putin's successor, Russia's president-elect Medvedev, has been working closely with him for now almost two decades; and the two men will have a very collaborative relationship after May 7, when Putin steps down as president and is expected to be named prime minister. Bush met separately with Medvedev before his news conference with Putin, and received from both "a very favorable first impression" and a pledge from the incoming Russian President to work to strengthen relations between the two countries.
However, there is suspense surrounding who will be Bush's successor as the tug-of-war continues in the U.S presidential race. Future U.S. foreign policies could vary on many hot issues according to the election outcome.
Putin and Bush issued a "strategic framework" to guide future relations between Moscow and Washington. The framework would deal with security cooperation, nonproliferation issues, counterterrorism and economic matters. The two sides also agreed to "develop a legally binding arrangement following expiration" in December 2009 of the strategic arms limitation treaty which both sides agreed would reduce the number of deployed nuclear warheads.
Given the large "ifs" still creating a gap, the Sochi farewell meeting will not serve as the landmark of a honeymoon period for Russia and U.S.
By People's Daily Online
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