A letter from Vladimir Putin

[RedRocket1647545505]

MOSCOW — RECENT events have prompted me to speak directly to the American people and their political leaders. It is important to do so at a time of insufficient communication between our societies.

 

Relations between us have passed through different stages. We stood against each other during the cold war. But we were also allies once, and defeated the Nazis together. The universal international organization — the United Nations — was then established to prevent such devastation from ever happening again.

 

The United Nations’ founders understood that decisions affecting war and peace should happen only by consensus, and with America’s consent the veto by Security Council permanent members was enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The profound wisdom of this has underpinned the stability of international relations for decades.

No one wants the United Nations to suffer the fate of the League of Nations, which collapsed because it lacked real leverage. This is possible if influential countries bypass the United Nations and take military action without Security Council authorization.

 

The potential strike by the United States against Syria, despite strong opposition from many countries and major political and religious leaders, including the pope, will result in more innocent victims and escalation, potentially spreading the conflict far beyond Syria’s borders. A strike would increase violence and unleash a new wave of terrorism. It could undermine multilateral efforts to resolve the Iranian nuclear problem and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and further destabilize the Middle East and North Africa. It could throw the entire system of international law and order out of balance.

 

Syria is not witnessing a battle for democracy, but an armed conflict between government and opposition in a multireligious country. There are few champions of democracy in Syria. But there are more than enough Qaeda fighters and extremists of all stripes battling the government. The United States State Department has designated Al Nusra Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, fighting with the opposition, as terrorist organizations. This internal conflict, fueled by foreign weapons supplied to the opposition, is one of the bloodiest in the world.

 

Mercenaries from Arab countries fighting there, and hundreds of militants from Western countries and even Russia, are an issue of our deep concern. Might they not return to our countries with experience acquired in Syria? After all, after fighting in Libya, extremists moved on to Mali. This threatens us all.

 

From the outset, Russia has advocated peaceful dialogue enabling Syrians to develop a compromise plan for their own future. We are not protecting the Syrian government, but international law. We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos. The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not. Under current international law, force is permitted only in self-defense or by the decision of the Security Council. Anything else is unacceptable under the United Nations Charter and would constitute an act of aggression.

No one doubts that poison gas was used in Syria. But there is every reason to believe it was used not by the Syrian Army, but by opposition forces, to provoke intervention by their powerful foreign patrons, who would be siding with the fundamentalists. Reports that militants are preparing another attack — this time against Israel — cannot be ignored.

 

It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it. Millions around the world increasingly see America not as a model of democracy but as relying solely on brute force, cobbling coalitions together under the slogan “you’re either with us or against us.”

 

But force has proved ineffective and pointless. Afghanistan is reeling, and no one can say what will happen after international forces withdraw. Libya is divided into tribes and clans. In Iraq the civil war continues, with dozens killed each day. In the United States, many draw an analogy between Iraq and Syria, and ask why their government would want to repeat recent mistakes.

 

No matter how targeted the strikes or how sophisticated the weapons, civilian casualties are inevitable, including the elderly and children, whom the strikes are meant to protect.

The world reacts by asking: if you cannot count on international law, then you must find other ways to ensure your security. Thus a growing number of countries seek to acquire weapons of mass destruction. This is logical: if you have the bomb, no one will touch you. We are left with talk of the need to strengthen nonproliferation, when in reality this is being eroded.

 

We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement.

A new opportunity to avoid military action has emerged in the past few days. The United States, Russia and all members of the international community must take advantage of the Syrian government’s willingness to place its chemical arsenal under international control for subsequent destruction. Judging by the statements of President Obama, the United States sees this as an alternative to military action.

 

I welcome the president’s interest in continuing the dialogue with Russia on Syria. We must work together to keep this hope alive, as we agreed to at the Group of 8 meeting in Lough Erne in Northern Ireland in June, and steer the discussion back toward negotiations.

 

If we can avoid force against Syria, this will improve the atmosphere in international affairs and strengthen mutual trust. It will be our shared success and open the door to cooperation on other critical issues.

 

My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this. I carefully studied his address to the nation on Tuesday. And I would rather disagree with a case he made on American exceptionalism, stating that the United States’ policy is “what makes America different. It’s what makes us exceptional.” It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional, whatever the motivation. There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.

 

 

 

 

Irony much? :dumb:

 

Shit's getting nasty over there. Sounds like China's getting involved now. Russian soldiers firing warning shots. :no:

 

Thoughts?

[wagner]

I have zero confidence our current leadership will make the right choices on this matter.

[CRed05]

"Only the people who live in a certain territory have the right to decide their own future" - Putin

[jeffro]

I kind of want to see something interesting happen. I can't be the only one.

[copperhead]

Obama's Cuban missile crises. The events over the next few days and weeks will go into the history books, for better or for worse.

[copperhead]

For what it's worth, I really hope the current administration can channel their inner JFK and pull off a miracle of diplomacy, although my expectations are pretty damn negative. Welcome to Cold War part 2: The Reckoning.

[Robert Aaron Parsons]

I see Vitali Klitschko going all M. Bison on Putin and just taking over everything. He will jab Putin to until he is ready to quit and then finish him off with a psycho crusher. All hail Vitali! (kidding)

 

Pavo

[Mensan]

Obama's Cuban missile crises. The events over the next few days and weeks will go into the history books, for better or for worse.

 

I don't agree. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a direct threat to the United States by placing missiles just off of our coast during escalating tensions, weakening our ability to defend our own country. While this is seen as a rising threat, I don't think it's the same thing.

[Orion]

A cold war would be good not only for our country, but for the world.

[BBQdDude]

So when will they allow us to comment on their newspapers and magazines? Seems pretty one sided.

[greg1647545532]

I haven't been following this that closely, but it sounds like Russia is just going to end up with Crimea and everyone will grumble about it but do nothing. It's effectively a Russian asset anyway, populated by a bunch of Russians.

[Geeesammy]

I'd love to see us stop being the worlds fucking police when we can't even fix our own damn problems.

Putin has exponential more balls than Obama, but I guess that would almost be impossible since Obama has none. Putin will at least call it as he see's it to the world and not care who gets pissed. At least this is the way it seems to me. Likely an off topic post but is getting involved in everything is starting to get really really old.

[greg1647545532]

I'm confused, does it take balls not to "get involved in everything" or not?

[Geeesammy]

I'm confused, does it take balls not to "get involved in everything" or not?

 

There is a difference between having balls and no brain. How can we tell another country what they are doing wrong if we can't even get our own stuff fixed? Trying to make other country's "right" while ours isn't much better is having no brain.

[greg1647545532]

Uhh... thanks for clearing that up.

[Geeesammy]

Uhh... thanks for clearing that up.

 

Iirc you are an Obama supporter and AHA supporter right?

[Exodus]

2.32 pm: Moscow warns US of dropping dollar as reserve currency A Kremlin aide said on Tuesday that if the United States were to impose sanctions on Russia over Ukraine, Moscow might be forced to drop the dollar as a reserve currency and refuse to pay off any loans to US banks. Sergei Glazyev, an adviser to the Kremlin who is often used by the authorities to stake out a hardline stance but does not make policy, added that if Washington froze the accounts of Russian businesses and individuals, Moscow would recommend that all holders of US treasuries sell them.

 

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/world/live-russia-nato-agree-to-discuss-ukraine-tomorrow-1416895.html?utm_source=ref_article

 

ouch

[Orion]

There is a difference between having balls and no brain. How can we tell another country what they are doing wrong if we can't even get our own stuff fixed? Trying to make other country's "right" while ours isn't much better is having no brain.

 

So if your neighbor is brandishing his gun at someone else who you know, you really shouldn't say anything cause your kids get bad grades in school. That makes total sense.

 

 

Except that it doesn't, and you're a retard.

[greg1647545532]

Iirc you are an Obama supporter and AHA supporter right?

 

American Heart Association? They're OK, I guess, but I've never donated.

 

I voted for Obama twice, if that helps in whatever point you're trying to make about his gonads.

[Geeesammy]

So if your neighbor is brandishing his gun at someone else who you know, you really shouldn't say anything cause your kids get bad grades in school. That makes total sense.

 

Except that it doesn't, and you're a retard.

 

 

So your kid is holding a gun to your wife's head while your neighbor is doing that, and you ignore what your child is doing and tell at your neighbor to stop instead.

 

:lolguy:

[Orion]

So your kid is holding a gun to your wife's head while your neighbor is doing that, and you ignore what your child is doing and tell at your neighbor to stop instead.

 

:lolguy:

 

STAHP. You are just making yourself look ridiculous. Comparing the severity of the "troubles" in this country to whats happening in Ukraine right now and saying they are similar is like trying to feed me mac and cheese and calling it fettucini alfredo.

[Geeesammy]

STAHP. You are just making yourself look ridiculous. Comparing the severity of the "troubles" in this country to whats happening in Ukraine right now and saying they are similar is like trying to feed me mac and cheese and calling it fettucini alfredo.

 

I'm not saying it's similar, but I am saying that we should just stick to fixing our major issues before we try to police the world

[Orion]

I'm not saying it's similar, but I am saying that we should just stick to fixing our major issues before we try to police the world

 

Fixing our major issues should be a priority, agreed. "Policing" the world, which is a phrase used quite often by folks who are out of touch, REALLY means "securing our interests and securities that don't reside in our own backyard", and is vital to actually accomplishing the "taking care of our own house" portion of this discussion. Look for the correlation, Grant, dammit.

[Dr. Pomade]

Multiple Analogies Achievement Unlocked

[Orion]

Multiple Analogies Achievement Unlocked

 

Been working on that one for a while.