Bush, Sarkozy, and a Newly Belligerent Russia
On August 27 of this year Nicholas Sarkozy, France’s new president, delivered a major speech outlining his views on international relations. In particular he had important observations to make regarding America’s probably biggest international headache not directly related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, that of Russia’s new found belligerency, something which has been clearly taking shape on the international scene since Putin replaced Yeltsin as Russia’s president on December 31, 1999.
It is readily apparent that Putin’s and Russia’s positions regarding both Iran and Kosovo stand in direct opposition to those of the United States. Yet up until now there has been no meaningful response on the part of President Bush to Putin’s anti-Americanism. Putin is allowed to continue merrily on his way, creating a KGB led power center to the East of Europe oblivious to the interests of the United States.
Most of all our President refuses to see President Putin for what he really is, still continues to disregard the Russian President’s words and actions, and instead goes on "looking into Putin’s eyes and seeing his soul," most recently while boating with Putin at Bush senior’s Kennebunkport home in Maine.
In regard to both Iran’s nuclear ambitions and Kosovo’s fledgling independence President Bush continues to rely on the Security Council for blocking the ambitions of the one and facilitating the realization of the other. However in both instances this is not happening and instead Bush’s friend Putin has made it abundantly clear that Russia will not permit meaningful U.N. sanctions being applied to Iran nor will it abandon its long term support for its linguistic cousin and almost neighbor, Serbia, by getting behind a Bush supported U.N. resolution in favor of independence for Kosovo.
Enter Nicholas Sarkozy, the new president of France. Does he get it in regard to the true motivations and interests of Russia? I think he does. I know that Bush doesn’t.
What does Sarkozy have to say about the Russia of Putin? And what is Sarkozy’s advice regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, and Kosovo’s independence?
Here I cite the relevant passages from Sarkozy’s August 27th. talk. First of all, he has this to say about Russia:
"La Russie impose son retour sur la scène mondiale en jouant avec une
certaine brutalité de ses atouts, notamment pétroliers et gaziers,
alors que le monde, l’Europe en particulier, espèrent d’elle une
contribution importante et positive au règlement des problèmes de notre
temps que son statut retrouvé justifie."
The single phrase "une certaine brutalité de ses atouts" says it well. For Sarkozy there is "no looking into the eyes of the man and seeing his soul." Sarkozy’s message is understated but nevertheless clear. And when one thinks of the Russia of Putin "brutalité" does seem the right word. Think of Chechnya, of the assassination of the Russian journalist, Anna Politkovskaya. It puts Putin on notice that France will be looking for significant positive changes in Russia’s relations to Europe and the world.
Sarkozy’s words in regard to Iran’s nuclear ambitions are no less noteworthy. Here is what he says about what he calls the world’s fourth major crisis (the first three being Islam’s confrontation with the West, how to integrate into the world order the emerging giants of China, India, and Brazil, and how to meet the now global risks to climate and health and the exploding worldwide demand for energy):
"Quatrième crise, au confluent des trois autres : l’Iran. La France
maintient avec ses dirigeants un dialogue sans complaisance, qui s’est
avéré utile en plusieurs occasions. Elle a pris l’initiative, avec
l’Allemagne et le Royaume-Uni, d’une négociation où l’Europe joue un
rôle central, rejointe par les Etats-Unis, la Russie et la Chine. Les
paramètres en sont connus ; je n’y reviens pas, sinon pour réaffirmer
qu’un Iran doté de l’arme nucléaire est pour moi inacceptable, et
souligner l’entière détermination de la France dans la démarche
actuelle alliant sanctions croissantes mais aussi ouverture si l’Iran
fait le choix de respecter ses obligations."
In particular, "un Iran doté de l’arme nucléaire est pour [Sarkozy] inacceptable." He’s putting the Mullahs on notice. He doesn’t say unacceptable to the U.N. Security Council, but that Iran’s nuclear armaments would be unacceptable to the country France.
The he goes on to say: "Cette démarche [sanctions, but that won't be limited to the actions of the Security Council] est la seule qui puisse nous permettre d’échapper à
une alternative catastrophique : la bombe iranienne ou le bombardement
de l’Iran. Cette quatrième crise est sans doute la plus grave qui pèse
aujourd’hui sur l’ordre international."
Particularly remarkable is his, "la bombe iranienne ou le bombardement
de l’Iran." This is what Bush must be thinking but not daring to say, given his disastrous performance up until now in Iraq.
"Le peuple iranien [Sarkozy concludes his remarks on Iran] qui est un grand peuple et mérite le respect,
n’aspire ni à l’isolement, ni à la confrontation. La France n’épargnera
aucun effort pour convaincre l’Iran qu’il aurait beaucoup à gagner en
s’engageant dans une négociation sérieuse avec les Européens, les
Américains, les Chinois et les Russes."
Sarkozy’s remarks in regard to Kosovo are not directed at Putin’s Russia. Evidently he still believes that Europe (he doesn’t mention the Security Council) will be able to solve this crisis, and that Russia will consequently not have a part to play.
"Le Kosovo offre une autre illustration de cette complémentarité puisque
l’Union et l’OTAN, sous mandat de l’ONU, y coopèrent étroitement. Cette
coopération revêtira une importance cruciale au cours des prochains
mois. A l’initiative de la France, le Groupe de Contact poursuit ses
efforts pour renouer le dialogue entre Serbes et Kosovars."
Finally, Sarkozy leaves Jaques Chirac far behind and moves clearly and happily toward a renewal of ties with America. Although this step doesn’t come at the most auspicious time, given that our country still has an incompetent man and bungling President at the helm, Sarkozy’s words do promise better relations between our two countries in the future.
"Je suis de ceux qui pensent que l’amitié entre les Etats-Unis et la
France est aussi importante aujourd’hui qu’elle l’a été au cours des
deux siècles passés. Alliés ne veut pas dire alignés et je me sens
parfaitement libre d’exprimer nos accords comme nos désaccords, sans
complaisance ni tabou."
A final footnote to the above. In today’s International Herald Tribune John Vinocur makes it clear just how much Putin by his words and actions is bent on undermining the strength of America’s position in the world. And that while Sarkozy understands this Bush seems to not want to admit it, and is, by his omission, allowing Russia a free ride in its new found belligerence, a belligerence that is fueled by an anti-Americanism recalling that of Soviet Union in years past. It was Vinocur’s piece that got me thinking about Sarkozy and Russia and all the rest.
