In the Kremlin

The ultimatum is a self -shot

July 27, 2011 Vladimir Nadein

The State Department of the United States decided to impose a ban on the entry of a number of Russian officials, the number of more than sixty. These are those state functionaries, prosecutors, investigators, judges, officers of the prison system, tax services, who were directly involved in the arrest and death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky in prison.

Putin's regime has not yet experienced such a serious blow since its occurrence. Its consequences will be especially destructive under two conditions. First: if European governments will follow the example of Americans. Second: if the Russian government does not respond with immediate and convincing measures.

“High -ranking representatives of the Russian government warned us that they would answer asymmetrically if the bill (Senate) will be adopted,” the State Department said. - Their arguments come down to the fact that we should not expect partnerships from them in support of sanctions against countries such as Iran, North Korea and Libya, when such sanctions are carried out against themselves. Russian officials said that other areas of bilateral cooperation, including transit to Afghanistan, will be threatened if this bill is carried out. ”

What is called the Magnitsky list in Russia is called the Cardin list. More recently, on May 19, Democrat Ben Cardin spoke in a Senate with a bright speech. He spoke about a painful death in the Russian prison of a lawyer who worked as an adviser to a foreign company, and suggested imposing sanctions against a group of Russian officials.

In Moscow, at first they did not pay attention to this. You never know the deputies threaten. But B. Cardin was supported by influential Republicans, among them a former presidential candidate J. McCain, as well as independent senator J. Lieberman. The danger began to find real features. An urgent business trip to Washington V. Surkov did not give anything. The ultimatum of Putin, who voiced the special envoy of Moscow, did not make the expected impression.

Putin is used to the sparing atmosphere of rebooting. He liked the role of a “bad guy”, despite the fact that the “good guy” was shy, shy and obviously decided nothing. But then the plot received such an acute development and happened so inappropriately that it is time to talk about the new serious failure of our foreign policy. The ultimatum of Putin played the role of the reverse one that he pursued. The frightened were not frightened. It was clear that the attempts of our prime minister to cause US damage by turning common programs would turn into many large losses for Moscow than for Washington. For the access of goods to Afghanistan, Americans give good money. In particular, they pay for a large batch of helicopters that Russians supply to the southern neighbor. But not only in money happiness. Creating obstacles to the Americans, Russia is throwing itself out of Afghan affairs for a long time.

Our support to the West against Iran, North Korea and Libya costs a little. This support is conditional, changeable and often rolls into an indecent border. As for the coordination of measures against international terrorism, then we need a lot more. In the end, after September 11, 2001, there was not a single major attack in America, we have dozens.

Now, retroactively, it is clearly visible that it would be better not to climb with a cocky and empty ultimatums, but to organize a normal, open and objective investigation of the death of S. Magnitsky. To this, both Medvedev and Putin called many times. They whispered in the ear with a quiet diplomatic whisper, screaming into microphones of international symposia. They said that the list of unsolved crimes is too large: Magnitsky, Politkovskaya, Estemirov. They did not hear. It didn't reach.

“They have nothing to complain about if they do not kill lawyers and journalists,” D. Kramer, Executive Director of the Frida House Foundation, a former diplomat with experience in Russia (Washington Post), spoke without the slightest sympathy.

Responsible measures, strictly speaking, does not exist, except for cretinical cries that we will block the road to the Obama-Klinton clique deposits to our Sberbank. But now the situation has sharply worsened. Something needs to be done, at least kill yourself. Parliamentarians of many European countries require their governments to follow the example of the United States. In America itself, influential people require expanding the list of cardin, as well as sharply activate the search for bank deposits, real estate and other interests of the indicated persons in order to freeze their assets.

But the zone of maximum danger for a shameful list has a craving for rapid growth. The parliaments of Holland and Canada, as well as the European Parliament, have already voted for such sanctions. It is not clear that it can restrain this wave. The hatred of corrupt officials is growing, it gains an international character and appeals to solidarity. The Russian high -ranking punks took out abroad with her crazy luxury, and then there is a mockery of innocent people. This villainous cocktail can encounter the discontent of voters even in such backwaters, where anti -Putin winds have not been blowing for a long time - in Germany, Spain, and France. Even in Italy, after the inevitable and soon the fall of Zhivchik Berlusconi, new European leaders will be clear from Putin and his people. So the lists of Cardin will soon speak in many languages.

On the eve of the presidential elections in Russia, all this can have catastrophic consequences for Putin. There is no vertical without theft, and without Western banks theft loses its meaning. Not only the business elite, associated with the financial world of the West with all its present and future, but the highest layers of bureaucracy will curse a recent idol if everything, accumulated by overwhelming works, is subjected to a real threat.

The propaganda effect of the fact that “our Putin offends the Washington Regional Committee,” will be fleeting and will bring insignificant electoral results. From despair and nervous everyday life, the national driver, which is not used to restraining himself, will begin to flog the mistake of the mistake - the process that he has already begun, suddenly announcing in Magnitogorsk, with what creative method the masterpiece of "wet in the toilet" was created.

July 26, 2011 will be marked with the most black tint in the personal Putin calendar. Will this prevent the wizard of Churov from taking the required interest from the sleeve, and Putin himself solemnly enter the Kremlin? Not a fact. But a little later, when the entire pompous vertical will be wallowed with rusty scrap metal in the landfill of history, this date will be marked as the beginning of the end.

Photos of RIA Novosti