Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Russia's president fidgeted, looked awkward and moved his neck oddly, his body language screaming that he would be rather be anywhere else than at this summit - BBC | The Ring and the Rings: Vladimir Putin's Mafia Olympics | Sport - Guardian.Co.Uk

18 June 2013 Last updated at 07:34 ET

Article written byMark MardellNorth America editor

Finding common ground with Russia

President Obama grinned broadly and nodded encouragingly towards President Putin.

Russia's president fidgeted, looked awkward and moved his neck oddly, his body language screaming that he would be rather be anywhere else than at this summit.President Obama grinned broadly and nodded encouragingly towards President Putin.

That's not surprising. He is the odd man out in this curious club. The G8 is really the biggest of what used to be called the Western powers, plus Russia.

The old enemy was allowed club membership in 1997, in a burst of post-Cold War magnanimity. Now it's all a bit of a nonsense.

Without China, or India and Brazil for that matter, this is not a group of the most powerful economies in the world. Nor, because of Mr Putin's presence, is it a gathering of like-minded allies.

But his resolution over Syria only highlights the lack of a plan from the US and its friends.

The Russian president has made it clear that as far as he is concerned his country is behaving perfectly normally, within the ordinary rules of international behaviour, backing, and arming what he sees as the legitimate government of Syria.

He is willing to sell them the most up-to-date and hi-tech kit. On the other hand America, the UK and France want a particular subset of rebels to win, and believes morally it should be allowed to arm them. But, for fear of the rebels they don't like, they are queasy about providing anything too advanced.

It is likely that rather than be isolated, President Putin will sign up to some sort of plan.

From what I have heard of the five point agreement that's on the table, it is so bland that it risks being dismissed as worthless.

But perhaps it is not quite without merit. Any international agreement that makes a Syrian peace conference more likely has some value.

But the big sticking point remains - is this peace conference post-Assad, as the rebels and the US demand, or is Assad part of the solution as Russia and the Syrian government insist?

President Obama, in a late night interview, has broken his five-day silence on his shift towards giving military help to the rebels.

As we suspected all along, he seems deeply uncomfortable with his own policy.

He said that the US had a legitimate interest and could not allow chaos in Syria, but it was "very easy to slip-slide your way into deeper and deeper commitments", adding: "If it's not working immediately, then what ends up happening is six months from now people say, 'Well, you gave the heavy artillery; now what we really need is X, and now what we really need is Y.' Because until Assad is defeated, in this view, it's never going to be enough, right?"

Right. That is the dilemma of those in the West who want President Assad to go. They have to decide which is worse - living with chaos and potentially the outcome they don't want, or greater entanglement in a region which teaches that such interventions have unexpected and unwelcome consequences.

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The Ring and the Rings: Vladimir Putin's Mafia Olympics | Sport
Tuesday June 18th, 2013 at 12:36 PM

Sport News, Comment And Results | Guardian.Co.Uk

In this 2005 photograph, Russian president Vladimir Putin holds a diamond-encrusted 2005 Super Bowl ring belonging to New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft. Photograph: Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP

Josef Stalin famously uttered the demonically cynical maxim that "the death of one man is a tragedy, the death of millions is a statistic". In other words, he believed that when faced with the choice of focusing on horrors small and tangible or vast and incomprehensible, humanity goes small. It is the political spawn of Stalin's feared security apparatus, Vladimir Putin, who is proving that this applies to scandals in the world of sport. One small theft is the sports story of the moment in the United States, while a heist of epic proportions, is emitting nary a peep.

The sports press is agog with the revelation by New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft that in 2005, Putin stole his Super Bowl ring. At the time, Putin's sticky fingers were caught on camera and the scene generated some laughs. There was the leader of Russia trying it on at a press event and then walking out of the room, as a bovine, slack-jawed Kraft looked on. The Patriots organization played it off as an intentional gift. But Kraft revealed this week that it was more of a mugging with the parodically alpha-male Putin icily looking at Kraft and saying, "I can kill someone with this ring," then in Kraft's words, "I put my hand out and he put it in his pocket, and three KGB guys got around him and walked out."

It's a pulpy, punchy story and it's understandable why sports reporters are flocking to it like a seagull to carrion. It also fits a narrative that has served Vladimir Putin well. He's the Tony Soprano of world leaders: the man who gets what he wants and wants what he gets.

But Putin – not unlike the decaying Mafia itself – isn't nearly as ruthlessly efficient as his legend suggests. For evidence of this, we don't even have to leave the world of sports. I'm referring to the billions in disappeared "spending" for the 2014 Winter Olympics, to be held – for reasons that boggle the mind – in the humid, subtropical Russian resort city of Sochi.

Putin has staked his reputation on the smooth hosting of the winter games. Based on the planning, it either speaks to how little he values his reputation, or more likely, that beneath the steely glare and martial arts muscles, he's being exposed as little more than a thuggish front man for a kleptocracy.

According to a detailed report issued by Russian opposition leaders in May, businessmen and various consiglieres of Putin have stolen up to $30bn from funds intended for Olympic preparations. This has pushed the cost of the winter games, historically far less expensive than their summer counterpart to over $50bn, more than four times the original estimate. That $50bn price tag would make them the most expensive games in history, more costly than the previous twenty-one winter games combined. It's a price tag higher than even than the 2008 pre-global recession summer spectacle in Beijing.

As Andrew Jennings, author of Lords of the Rings and the most important Olympic investigative reporter we have, said to me, "The games have always been a money-spinner for the cheerleaders in the shadows. Beijing remains impenetrable but is likely to have been little less corrupt than Putin's mafia state."

"Mafia state" may sound extreme, but these winter games will go down in history as perhaps the most audacious act of embezzlement in human history. As Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov and Leonid Martynyuk wrote, "Only oligarchs and companies close to Putin got rich. The absence of fair competition, cronyism … have led to a sharp increase in the costs and to the poor quality of the work to prepare for the Games … The fact is that almost everything that is related to the cost problems and abuses in preparation for the Olympic Games was carefully concealed and continues to be covered up by the authorities."

One of those officials was Akhmed Bilalov, who was forced to flee Russia, fearing for his life, after Putin blamed him for the ballooning costs. Now Bilalov has gone public with news that he is undergoing medical treatment for being poisoned, allegedly by agents of the Russian state.

Even more nauseating, if not surprising, than the alleged theft/attempted murder is the shrug of the shoulders from the International Olympic Committee. Jean-Claude Killy, the French skiing superstar from the 1970s, is now in charge of the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission for the Sochi games.

"I don't recall an Olympics without corruption," Killy said. "It's not an excuse, obviously, and I'm very sorry about it, but there might be corruption in this country, there was corruption before. I hope we find ways around that."

If $30bn is too much of an incomprehensible "statistic" to get our heads around, even in a country with poverty and hunger rates that spiked...

G8 summit - day two: Politics live blog - The Guardian - 18/06/13 04:51

US President Barack Obama holding a bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the G8 summit at the Lough Erne resort last night. Photograph: JEWEL SAMAD/AFP/Getty Images

» G8 summit - day two: Politics live blog - The Guardian
18/06/13 04:51
Telegraph.co.uk G8 summit - day two: Politics live blog The Guardian Africa's infrastructure is in a poor state . Fixing that will be expensive, and so Africa needs to be able to access private capital. Investing in poor country ... pr..

» Group of 8 Leaders Press Russia on Syria
18/06/13 10:53 from NYT > Europe
With hours to go before the end of a two-day summit meeting, officials were struggling to draft a statement on the conflict that would be acceptable to Russia.

Monday, June 17, 2013

RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: Russia News Review - continuously updated

RUSSIA and THE WEST - РОССИЯ и ЗАПАД: Russia News Review - continuously updated: Click for "Russia News Review". Powered by RSS Feed Informer

First-Ever Russian Float To Debut At New York Gay-Pride Parade

First-Ever Russian Float To Debut At New York Gay-Pride Parade by internet_team@rferl.org (Richard Solash)
Monday June 17th, 2013 at 7:22 AM

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Gays and lesbians from Russia and other former Soviet republics will have their own float for the first time at New York City's famous pride parade this month. Organizers say their aim is to celebrate an openness that they never experienced back home, where gay rights continue to erode.

Russia and the West - Blog Posts Review

Визит госсекретаря Керри в Москву - by Майкл Макфол

Визит госсекретаря Керри в Москву
Monday June 17th, 2013 at 7:48 AM

Майкл Макфол

Визит окончен! В среду на прошлой неделе госсекретарь Керри завершил двухдневную поездку в Москву. Это был его первый приезд в Россию в качестве государственного секретаря, и мне хотелось бы поделиться с вами рассказом о некоторых вехах этого визита. Поездка пришлась на период интенсификации контактов с высокопоставленными российскими должностными лицами в преддверии встречи между президентом Обамой и президентом Путиным на полях июньской встречи большой “восьмёрки” в Северной Ирландии, а в самом начале сентября президент Обама приедет в Россию.

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Вскоре после прибытия в Москву госсекретарь Керри возложил венок к Могиле Неизвестного солдата, памятника павшим во время войны, который находится недалеко от Кремля. На той же неделе Россия отметила День Победы, государственный праздник, в который традиционно проводится парад на Красной площади и другие мероприятия в честь ветеранов. Госсекретарь возложил венок, отдавая дань уважения жертвам, принесённым народом России во время второй мировой войны, которую здесь называют Великой Отечественной войной. Надпись на венке “Вечная память нашим героям, погибшим в борьбе за нашу общую Победу” свидетельствовала о том, что и россияне, и американцы отдавали жизнь за победу. Затем госсекретарь кратко пообщался с несколькими российскими ветеранами, отдав дань уважения их мужеству и смелости в годы войны.

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В Москве госсекретарь Керри встретился с президентом России Владимиром Путиным и, признавая наличие некоторых разногласий между нашими странами, отметил, что по действительно важным вопросам, таким, как Иран, Северная Корея и Афганистан, мы сохраняем подлинное сотрудничество. Госсекретарь Керри также выразил уверенность в том, что нас объединяет ряд очень важных интересов в отношении Сирии и привёл аргументы в пользу того, почему сотрудничество между США и Россией имеет большое значение для прекращения кровопролития и начала процесса политического перехода в этой стране. Госсекретарь Керри и президент Путин обменялись мнениями о путях развития торговли и инвестиций между нашими странами. Он поблагодарил президента Путина за помощь в связи с бостонским терактом.

Заявления государственного секретаря Керри и президента России Путина перед их встречей в Москве

Госсекретарь Керри побывал в чудесном гостевом особняке – Доме приёмов Министерства иностранных дел РФ и самом знаменитом дипломатическом особняке Москвы – Доме Морозова на Спиридоновке, 17, где прошла большая встреча с министром иностранных дел Сергеем Лавровым и его делегацией. Госсекретаря Керри сопровождал посол США в Сирии Роберт Форд, а с российской стороны в серьёзном и подробном обсуждении вопроса о Сирии принял участие заместитель министра иностранных дел Михаил Богданов. Кроме того, Г-да Керри и Лавров обсудили другие ключевые региональные вопросы, наши взаимные усилия по увеличению двусторонней торговли и инвестиций, а также ряд вопросов двусторонних отношений. Результаты встречи были кратко изложены во время их пресс-конференции. Когда наш ужин подошел к концу, кажется, было уже около двух часов ночи. В свой первый день в Москве госсекретарь Керри как глава американской дипломатии начал весьма серьёзную дипломатическую работу.

Видео МИД РФ: Пресс-конференция Дж. Керри и С. Лаврова

Видео МИД РФ: Протокольная съемка начала переговоров Дж. Керри и С. Лаврова

Текст выступления Джона Керри и министра иностранных дел России Сергея Лаврова в Москве

На следующий день в моей резиденции Спасо-Хаус состоялась беседа Джона Керри с девятью видными лидерами движения за построение гражданского общества в России. Представители нескольких наиболее авторитетных российских общественных организаций и аналитических центров рассказали г-ну Керри о том, что обстановка, в которой им приходится работать, становится всё более сложной. Г-н госсекретарь выразил поддержку развитию в России независимого гражданского общества и получил несколько полезных советов о том, как добиться большей степени взаимодействия между американским и российским обществами в будущем.

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Однако самым волнующим моментом поездки г-на госсекретаря было его знакомство с великолепным коллективом американского посольства в Москве. Собравшиеся в Бальной зале Спасо-Хауса с большим нетерпением ждали встречи с новым государственным секретарем. Мы были очень благодарны г-ну Керри за услышанные от него слова похвалы за нашу работу.

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Аудиозапись встречи (англ.)

Прошедший год выдался трудным для американо-российских отношений. Однако визит госсекретаря Керри напомнил мне о важности взаимодействия, особенно в высших эшелонах, а также о причинах, которые могут в 2013 году направить траекторию развития наших двусторонних отношений в более продуктивное русло. Во время таких визитов мы имеем возможность подтвердить непрерывность нашего сотрудничества с Россией в вопросах взаимного интереса, таких, как торговля и капиталовложения, Северная Корея, Иран, Афганистан, борьба с терроризмом и сотрудничество в военной области. Мы также можем искать новые пути сотрудничества в таких сложных сферах, как Сирия или ПРО. И даже если нам не удается найти новые подходы к решению проблем, взаимодействие на высоком уровне не позволяет развиться конфронтации на почве недостаточного или ошибочного восприятия. Визит госсекретаря Керри со всей определенностью обеспечил движение вперед нашим интересам на всех этих фронтах и придал новый импульс дипломатическому взаимодействию с Россией. Как хорошо, что у нашего коллектива есть такой руководитель!

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Узнать больше о поездке госсекретаря Джона Керри в Москву можно здесь:russian.moscow.usembassy.gov.
Еще фото на канале Госдепартамента США на Flickr.

Secretary Kerry’s Trip to Moscow

May 8, 2013

Wheels up! Secretary Kerry concluded a two-day trip to Moscow last Wednesday, his first visit to the Russian Federation as Secretary of State – and I wanted to share some of the highlights with you. His trip occurred as part of an intensified set of contacts with senior Russian officials this year leading up to a meeting between President Obama and President Putin on the sidelines of the G-8 meeting in Northern Ireland in June, to be followed by President Obama’s visit to Russia in the first week of September.
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Soon after his arrival in Moscow, Secretary Kerry laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument to veterans located not far from the Kremlin. Later that week, Russia celebrated Victory Day, a national holiday, with a traditional parade on Red Square and other events honoring veterans. The Secretary laid a wreath to honor the sacrifices the Russian people made during the Second World War, which is referred to here as the Great Patriotic War. As a testament to our countries’ shared sacrifice, the ribbon read, "In Eternal Memory of Our Heroes who perished in the struggle for our Shared Victory.” The Secretary then met briefly with several Russian World War II veterans to honor their courage and valor during the war.

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While in Moscow, Secretary Kerry met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and, while he acknowledged that there have been some disagreements between our two countries, he noted that on really important issues like Iran, North Korea, and Afghanistan, we have maintained real cooperation. Secretary Kerry also stated our belief that we share some very significant common interests with respect to Syria, and outlined a set of arguments for why cooperation between the United States and Russia was critical for ending the bloodshed there and jumpstarting a political transition process. Secretary Kerry and President Putin exchanged views on how to increase trade and investment between our countries. He thanked President Putin for cooperation in dealing with the Boston bombings.

Video: Secretary Kerry Meets with Russian President Putin

Secretary Kerry traveled to the magnificent osobnyak guest house, the Reception House of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Moscow's most renowned diplomatic mansion—the Morozov House, No. 17 on Spiridonovka , for an extensive meeting with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and his delegation. U.S. Ambassador to Syria Robert Ford accompanied Secretary Kerry, and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov participated on the Russian side to facilitate a serious and extensive discussion about Syria. Secretary Kerry and Minister Lavrov also discussed other key regional issues, our mutual efforts to increase bilateral trade and investment, and other bilateral issues the results of which Secretary Kerry and Minister Lavrov outlined at their press conference. I don’t remember exactly but I think it was close to 2:00am when we finally finished dinner. On his first day in Moscow as America’s chief diplomat, Secretary Kerry engaged in some very serious diplomacy.

Video: Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Before Their Meeting; Secretary of State John Kerry; (courtesy of MFA)

Video: Secretary Kerry Delivers Remarks with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov

Text: Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov; Secretary of State John Kerry;
Text: Remarks With Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Before Their Meeting; Secretary of State John Kerry;

On the following day, I hosted a discussion between Secretary Kerry and nine prominent civil society leaders in Russia at my residence, Spaso House. These representatives of some of Russia’s most prestigious non-governmental organizations and think tanks had the chance to describe to Secretary Kerry the increasingly difficult environment in which they operate. The Secretary expressed support for the development of an independent Russian civil society, and received some helpful suggestions on how to foster greater engagements between American and Russian societies in the future.

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The most exciting moment of Secretary Kerry’s trip was having the chance to introduce him to his fantastic team here at Embassy Moscow. The Spaso House ballroom was electric with the enthusiasm of our Embassy staff at meeting their new Secretary. We were all very grateful to hear Secretary Kerry’s words of praise for our mission and service.

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Listen to the recording of the meeting

Last year was a difficult one in U.S.-Russia relations. Secretary Kerry’s visit, however, reminded me of the importance of engagement, especially at the highest levels, and why 2013 has the potential to produce a more productive trajectory in our bilateral relations. During such visits, we can reaffirm our continued cooperation with Russia on issues of mutual interest such as trade and investment, North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, and military-to-military cooperation. We can seek to develop new ways to cooperate on hard issues such as Syria or missile defense. And even if we do not succeed in finding mutual approaches to problems, high-level engagement ensures that we do not allow confrontations to develop based on misunderstandings or misperceptions. Secretary Kerry’s visit most certainly advanced our interests on all these fronts and gave new vigor to our diplomatic engagement with Russia. It’s great to have him lead our team!

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Learn more about Secretary Kerry’s trip to Moscow at moscow.usembassy.gov.
See more photos on State Department's Flickr Channel .

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Tuesday, June 18, 2013

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Finding common ground with Russia

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