Russia says Obama letter has nothing concrete

[Wretched Excess]

MADRID (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has received a letter from U.S. President Barack Obama, Medvedev's spokeswoman said on Tuesday after being asked about a report in the New York Times.

"We have received this letter. It was in fact a reply to a letter from Medvedev sent to Obama after his appointment. The letter contained an assessment of the situation, but there were no concrete proposals about any mutually binding decisions," Natalya Timakova told reporters during a visit by Medvedev to Spain.

The New York Times reported that in the letter Obama had offered to back off deploying a new missile system in Eastern Europe if Russia helps to stop Iran from building nuclear weapons. Moscow has not yet responded to the letter, according to the paper.

Russia opposes the deployment of a U.S. missile defence system in Poland and the Czech Republic. The system was proposed by the administration of former President George W. Bush.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva on Friday.

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[Wretched Excess]

wow.  al reuters is working overtime to make obama look as good as possible.  here is the first write thru of the story above.  it's very different in tone.  hell, it's almost a different story.

Russia willing to talk missiles with U.S.

MADRID (Reuters) - Russia would be willing to discuss a new missile defence structure with the United States but sees Iran's nuclear programme as a separate issue, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday.

Asked about a report in the New York Times that U.S. President Barack Obama had written to him offering to back off deploying a new missile system in Eastern Europe in return for help with the Iranians, Medvedev said signals from Washington were positive but the two issues were separate.

"If we are talking about any "swaps" (Iran for missile defence), this is not how the question is being put. This would not be productive," Medvedev told a news conference in Madrid, where he was on a state visit.

But he added: "If the new (U.S.) administration shows common sense and offers a new (missile defence) structure which would satisfy European (needs) ... and would be acceptable for us, we are ready to discuss it."

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[Wretched Excess]

Now the Russians, as well as the Iranians are laughing their asses off at the new US "president".

and he has also offended the british.  see the "downing street embarrassed" thread in Politics.  he's really doing a great job, isn't he?   

[formerlurker]

Now the Russians, as well as the Iranians are laughing their asses off at the new US "president".

Jeez-us is this guy a rookie or what?    2012 can't come fast enough.

[TandT]

Jeez-us is this guy a rookie or what?    2012 can't come fast enough.

ab-so-****ing-lutely ...

he has always been all hat and no cattle ... just an empty shell with no idea how to lead .......

[PatriotGame]

What? The magic Negro gets his Naive high-yellow ass bitch slapped by the commies.
Never saw that coming, nope!
Never....
These arrogant pricks in "The One's" administration are going to get a shitload of innocent Americans murdered and think nothing of it.

[Hawkgirl]

  the americans who voted for the prick.  He's making the USA the laughing stock of the world.

[Wretched Excess]

this just might be the dumbest, and most incredibly dangerous and naive, foreign policy utterance by an american president in the history of the country.

Obama cites need to 'reset' relations with Moscow     

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says reducing Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons lessens the need for a missile defense system in Eastern Europe but he has offered no "quid pro quo" on the matter with Russia.

The president spoke in the Oval Office on Monday alongside visiting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Obama has written Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (dih-MEE'-try med-VYEH'-dyev) about the proposed missile defense plan, among other matters.

Obama said the plan is directed toward Iran, not Russia. Moscow has raised concerns about the plan to deploy U.S. missile defenses in Poland and the Czech Republic.

Obama said he has made clear that the U.S. needs to "reset or reboot" its relationship with Russia.

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[vlad335]

this just might be the dumbest, and most incredibly dangerous and naive, foreign policy utterance by an american president in the history of the country.

I shudder to think what is going to happen in the foreign policy arena in the furure. Biden certainly saw it coming.

[Wretched Excess]

this certainly clears everything right up.

"that's not the Dmitry Medvedev that I knew."

Obama denies offering Russia missile shield deal

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday denied offering Russia a deal in which Washington would slow deployment of a missile defense shield in Europe in exchange for Moscow's help in a nuclear stand-off with Iran.

The New York Times reported that Obama had sent a letter to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev last month suggesting he would back off deploying a new missile defense system if Russia helped stop Iran from developing long-range weapons.

"The report that was in The New York Times didn't accurately characterize the letter," Obama said after meeting British Prime Minister Gordon Brown for talks at the White House.

"What I said in the letter is what I have said publicly, which is that the missile defense that we have talked about deploying is directed toward, not Russia, but Iran," he said.

"And what I said ... was that, obviously, to the extent that we are lessening Iran's commitment to nuclear weapons, then that reduces the pressure for, or the need for a missile defense system."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signaled on Tuesday that Moscow was willing to talk to Washington about the missile defense shield but that Iran's nuclear program, which it is involved in, was a separate issue.

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[Hawkgirl]

Expect to see a lot of "clarification" responses from Obama during the next 4 years. 

[Gid]

We are so very, very, screwed!!!!  Ohhhh

[Duke Nukum]

Failure after failure.  I think it is time Obama resign and put an adult in charge unfortunately there aren't any standing in line.

[Wretched Excess]

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stressed the linkage between the missile shield and Iran at a White House briefing.

"If working with our allies and working with Russia we can eliminate the threat, then you eliminate the driving force behind that system to combat that threat,".

huh?  is the obama administration confused as to where "the threat" could be coming from?  i don't think eastern europe is worried about the iranians.

[BannedFromDU]

The White House and the Obama Media serious, honestly think that the rest of the world can be fooled. Russia and China are going to take Obama over their knees, and Obama will do whatever it takes just to feel like he's liked.

Can this grading the President on a curve shit be over yet? This country is now run by people who don't care what happens, so long as they feel good about who's in the White House.

No more speeches, you ignorant bastard, and tell your wife to stop posing for magazines. DO something to further the agenda of your own country, asshole.

[Chris]

Speaking of embarrassing, silly, and completely brainless gifts from the current administration...

GENEVA (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met Russia's foreign minister on Friday, symbolically presenting him with a red "reset" button to improve ties that sank to a post-Cold War low during the Bush administration.

"I would like to present you with a little gift that represents what President Obama and Vice-President Biden and I have been saying and that is: 'We want to reset our relationship and so we will do it together," said Clinton, presenting Lavrov with a palm-sized yellow box with a red reset button.

VIDEO: http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12363847&ch=4226716&src=news 

[Wretched Excess]

I saw that.  heey-suze carimba.

how dumb can we get?

[Chris]

I'm speechless.  This is too stupid for words.  These are the adults running the country?

[Wretched Excess]

I'm speechless.  This is too stupid for words.  These are the adults running the country?

any new administration stumbles.  but GWB threw the doors open to the obama folks since (a) we were at war, and (b) the mortgage crisis.

the incoming administration simply failed to take advantage.

[Chris]

So, JFK, LBJ, Nixon, and Reagan all work hard to make sure the Russians never start a nuclear war and the first thing Obama and Clinton do is present them with a red button and encourage them to push it?

Nice.

http://volokh.com/posts/1236392422.shtml#544936

[SaintLouieWoman]

I'm speechless.  This is too stupid for words.  These are the adults running the country?

Don't forget Mrs Clinton is the most intelligent woman in the world. 

[Wretched Excess]

Don't forget Mrs Clinton is the most intelligent woman in the world. 

L
out
freaking
L

[Mike220]

And they got the wrong word...