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The Times’ babushka gets response from Moscow
Published: 13 October, 2010, 18:52
Edited: 14 October, 2010, 15:01
As any Russian babushka knows, the idea of restoring the USSR is absurd, said Putin’s spokesman in response to a warning, in The Times, against a desire Russia has of restoring its influence on the post-soviet space.
I would be interested in reading the actual response letter of mr. Peskov anyone has a link?
In the 500 million people ASEAN free trade area Indonesia (237 million people) plays a similar role as Russia (141 million people) in the F.T.A. with neighboring countries. In fact, the same way as ASEAN has included countries like Vietnam (85 million people) which are not Malay (as Indonesia, Malaysia, Philipines...), a Central Eurasian F.T.A. could include a reformed Iran, Afghanistan and even Turkey. Remember that the Southern Trade -Route between Europe and China takes place through those three states (Turkey-Iran-Aghanistan) while the Northern Trade Route takes place through the Russian Federation... So the Central Eurasian Common Market will be a guarantee of stability of the Soutthern Trade Route (still being built) between China and Europe. There are two TRADE ALTERNATIVES: Maritime and Continental. Germany and Russia for obvious reasons suppport the Continental alternative (Berlin-Moscow-Beijing and Berlin-Stambul-Teheran-Hong Kong) Meanwhile, the U.K., which feels it can be left apart from such alternative (Spain also) supports the Maritime alternative (London-New York-L.A.-Hong Kong) But Russia also takes part in the Australian initiative APEC (Maritime) Betting for Brazil more than for Russia (both economies being of similar size) is also part of the Maritime alternative (which also Spain supports for geographical and historical reasons) But both alternatives can be complementary as Russia, Germany and China are demonstrating.
UK is making the same conclusion as Japan: observing Russia as an empire. This is exactly what make them being political islands.
Perhaps if the EU helped the Baltic states in their hour of need with the economic crisis, that pro-Russian party would not have come second in the polls. And perhaps, if the EU had helped Georgia in their hour of need during the war with Russia, then Kazakhstan would not economically, socially and militarily unify with Russia. Just a thought...
This is cleverly stated attempt to put the Russians in a defensive position as the Anglo Saxon imperial project of manifest destiny and NATO move ever closely to Russia’s own doorsteps! For the Russians thought it is hard for them to critically repudiate this and similar accusations. According to the new U.S/Russia ‘reset,’ Russia is excepted to fall in line with the U.S manifest of global domination. As a result, now all the Russian elite can do is to deny harbouring imperial ambitions! Of course, this has a double meanings in that it also signals that only the U.S and its allies can legitimately assert imperial ambitions! http://vodpod.com/watch/4383682-john-mearsheimer-chinas-challenge-to-us-power