Translated material
'Strong momentum' for Bush
Russia wants to achieve results in relations with the United States before the change of owner of the White House
Russia is committed to “continuous intensive interaction” with the United States and intends to send a corresponding “strong impulse” during the meeting of the two countries’ presidents Dmitry Medvedev and George W. Bush at the G8 summit on the Japanese island of Hokkaido . This was stated by Assistant to the Russian President Sergei Prikhodko. According to him, the Russian leadership “will do everything to ensure that the positive foundation that has already been created, the volume of interaction on international and regional problems, and anti-terrorism issues, not only remains the same, but also moves upward.”Sergei Prikhodko is convinced that further progress in Russian-American relations primarily depends on Washington. “In Russia, continuity of foreign policy is ensured, and we do not revise priorities. But in the United States, disruptions are possible,” he noted, referring to the election of a new American president in November. “For us, the current president of the United States is a proven partner,” said Sergei Prikhodko. “We are ready to work for another six months without slowing down, and we expect to achieve significant results that our countries need.”
Among the main problems complicating relations between Russia and the United States, the Russian presidential aide named the lack of progress in concluding new agreements on strategic offensive weapons (START) and conventional armed forces in Europe. The START Treaty expires next year , but there has been no progress in negotiations on its renewal. “Russia is still being offered a “dummy” in the form of transparency measures that exclude control over strategic delivery vehicles and a number of other components of strategic offensive arms,” Mr. Prikhodko believes. Nevertheless, he expects that Russia and the United States will be able to “turn the situation around” and “reach mutually acceptable understandings” before the end of the year: “The entire world community expects this from us.”
As for conventional armed forces, in December 2007, a decree by then Russian President Vladimir Putin came into force to suspend the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) due to the refusal of NATO member countries to ratify its adapted version. Since then the situation has not changed. “Russia and the United States continue to have differences on future conventional arms control in the context of the CFE Treaty,” an aide to the Russian president recalled yesterday.
Among other issues complicating Russian-American interaction, Sergei Prikhodko named the reluctance of American legislators to repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment, which does not allow Russia to obtain a “regime of normal trade relations” with the United States, as well as the White House’s plans to draw Ukraine and Georgia into NATO.