United Nations Building, New York CityFrom Times Online:
The Obama Administration will attempt to usher in a new era of détente with Russia tomorrow when Joe Biden, the Vice-President, makes a keynote foreign policy speech at an international conference in Munich.
Mr Biden, presenting the US vision on foreign and security policy, will make a symbolic break with the Bush years by emphasising co-operation, multilateralism, diplomacy and the need for strong partnerships. It will include a concerted effort at thawing relations with Russia, which the White House views as central to tackling a range of global challenges, including Afghanistan and Iran.
“We want to work with Russia, and we want to see if we can get off on the right foot with Russia,” a White House official said when asked if Mr Biden's speech would signal a rapprochement.
Tomorrow Mr Biden will hold a private meeting with Sergei Ivanov, the Russian Deputy Prime Minister. A central part of their discussions is expected to be Washington's plans for a missile defence shield in Eastern Europe, which is opposed fiercely in Moscow and has been a main source of tension between the US and Russia.
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My Comment: The Times article insinuates that the Bush administration followed a unilateral foreign policy .... nothing is farther from the truth. On issues like North Korea and Iran, a multilateral approach was used. On the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, coalitions of dozens of countries became and were involved.
The U.S. has always pursued a multilateral approach based on cooperation and diplomacy .... President Obama is starting nothing new .... he is just continuing what has been defacto U.S. policy for years.