The contradiction between Russia and the United States

From July/KLOC-0 to July 2, US President Bush warmly received Russian President Vladimir Putin at his father's villa in Maine. Bush not only accompanied Putin to the sea by speedboat to visit the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean, but also specially prepared a lobster banquet. Although Bush and Putin talked and laughed, the contradiction between the two countries on the TMD issue has not improved.

However, Putin's lobster didn't come for nothing. He put forward new suggestions for the US plan to deploy TMD in Europe. What embarrasses the United States is that European countries such as Germany are actually very interested in Putin's idea.

NATO really wants to talk.

Earlier, because the United States planned to deploy TMD in the Czech Republic and Poland, it claimed that its purpose was to defend against missile attacks from Iran and other countries. This move has aroused strong opposition from Russia, because Russia believes that this move by the United States is intended to contain Russia.

After the Russian-American summit, Putin still thinks it is unnecessary to deploy TMD in the Czech Republic and Poland. He suggested that the US plan could be replaced by expanding the European anti-missile system and inviting NATO to participate.

Putin said: "We support solving problems through consultation and believe that the number of participants should be expanded to include all interested European countries." "This should be done within the framework of the Russian-NATO Council."

Putin's suggestions include:

First, establish anti-missile system information exchange centers in Moscow and Brussels to exchange information with each other;

Secondly, in addition to the Gabarra radar station in Azerbaijan, the early warning system in southern Russia can also be used.

Third, the consultations between the two sides on the anti-missile system have been extended to the NATO-Russia Council (the main topics of the consultations are European politics and security, including counter-terrorism and arms control).

According to the Russian News Agency reported on July 4, NATO will study Putin's proposal and is willing to actively negotiate with Russia.

Germany: Safety First

On July 3, German Defense Minister Franz Josef Rong expressed the hope that NATO and Russia could find a solution to the problem of anti-missile system.

Rong made this statement at the forum on "Defense Industry and Security Policy" held in Berlin. In addition, Rong and Polish Deputy Defense Minister Vignide agreed at the meeting that which country to deploy the missile defense system is secondary, and it is important to see whether the safety factor of Europe and the United States can be increased.

Vignide said that the negotiations between Poland and the United States on the anti-missile system are still in the initial stage, and no decision has been made on whether to establish an anti-missile system in Poland. He stressed that only when the anti-missile system is conducive to the security of Poland, Europe and the United States will he agree to deploy TMD in Poland.

Bush: It needs to be studied.

The reactions of these countries seem to be directed at the United States.

Regarding Putin's "new idea", Bush only said that Putin's proposal is a very constructive and bold step, and the US government needs to study it in detail, but he insisted that it is still necessary for the Czech Republic and Poland to join the missile defense system.

In fact, this is not the first time Putin has put forward an idea. At the beginning of June this year, when Putin attended the G8 summit, he proposed to Bush that Russia and the United States use the Azerbaijani Gabarra radar station to replace the US plan to deploy anti-missile systems in the Czech Republic and Poland.

Bush's response at that time was to go back to study. Later, the reaction of the United States was very cold. In mid-June, U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said that Gabarra radar station can be used as a supplement to the U.S. anti-missile system, and the United States will continue to advance the original plan.

Putin: Waiting for Bush's reply

However, Putin still appears to be very patient. On July 4, Putin said that he knew that the United States would not immediately respond to his proposal, and he was still waiting for Bush's reply. Putin said: "If the White House's answer is yes, the bilateral relations between the United States and Russia will be improved and the world will become safer."

Putin made the above remarks when he went to Guatemala to attend the plenary session of the International Olympic Committee 1 19 on July 2, and made the final lobbying for the Russian city Sochi to bid for the 20 14 Winter Olympics.

Expert analysis

All parties have their own reasons.

Wen Pang Changwei (Russian expert, Youshi University, China)

The recent dispute between the United States and Russia on the TMD issue can be said to be quite interesting and particularly lively. However, we must also see the abacus of the United States, Russia and Europe through this series of phenomena.

For the United States, deploying TMD system in Europe is one of the important strategies actively pursued by the United States since Bush took office. Bush has repeatedly stated that he hopes to push this strategy further. The fundamental purpose of this strategy is to bring Europe into the orbit of American global strategy, further contain Russia by integrating forces, and narrow its strategic living space. This is also the strategic arrangement of the "Star Wars Plan" proposed by former US President Ronald Reagan. Therefore, the deployment of anti-missile systems in Europe, especially in eastern European countries, is an important interest of the United States for a long time, and it is doomed not to give in on this issue. From this point of view, it is not difficult for the Bush administration to understand Putin's new proposal of "collective voice loss".

Russia is well aware that the United States is deploying an anti-missile system in Eastern Europe, saying that it is going to deal with rogue countries, but Russia, as a "potential opponent" that the United States has been wary of, is definitely the object of containment by the United States. Therefore, Russia cannot turn a blind eye to this. Putin's two proposals on the anti-missile system do not show that Russia really wants to cooperate with the United States, but has a deeper strategic intention, that is, to gradually disintegrate the strong bastion of the United States and European countries against Russia by using the framework of the Russia-NATO Council.

Russia holds the trump card of "energy", and most European countries, especially "old European countries" such as Germany and France (European countries that keep a distance from the United States) are increasingly dependent on Russian oil and other energy sources. It is in the interest of European countries to mend Russia and Europe. Furthermore, if there is a conflict between Russia and Europe, the European countries will definitely suffer the most, and the dispute between Russia and Europe is Europe's disadvantage. Therefore, after weighing the advantages and disadvantages, Germany, France and other European countries will not cooperate with the United States to deal with Russia out of ideological impulse in the face of reality. It is precisely by grasping the psychology of Germany, France and other countries that Russia has put forward the above series of suggestions. From this point of view, Germany's enthusiasm for Putin's proposal is also reasonable.

The contradictions in the missile defense system have not improved.