Bush offers Putin an olive branch and lobster dinner
Under the watchful gaze of his father, President Bush will seek to repair frayed relations with Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart, tomorrow.
The informal two-day meeting at the Bush family’s holiday home in Kennebunkport, Maine, is considered an opportunity to allow some sunshine back into the Cold War rhetoric of recent months.
President Putin has denounced US plans for a missile defence shield based in Eastern Europe and has bristled over Mr Bush’s criticism of him for reversing democratic reforms in Russia.
Last month Mr Putin compared American foreign policy to that of Nazi Germany and threatened to target Western Europe with nuclear weapons.
Tensions have not eased in recent weeks after dismissive remarks from the Pentagon over Mr Putin’s offer to share radar systems in Azerbaijan if the US abandoned its proposed missile defence bases in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Dmitry Peskov, Mr Putin’s spokesman, said yesterday: “He will be expecting an explanation from President Bush.
“There is flexibility in our approach, but not endless flexibility,” he added, saying that if the system was based in Eastern Europe, “we have to witness the reality” and Russia could only conclude that it “will be aimed at us”.
The White House insists that it is designed to counter a threat from rogue nations such as Iran, but Mr Peskov said the Tehran regime did not have the capacity to target Europe or America.
Tomorrow the two leaders will share a lobster dinner with the first President Bush, with whom, Mr Peskov said, Mr Putin had a “very warm relationship”. The Bush family often go on fishing trips near Kennebunkport and the Russian President “would be delighted” to accompany them.
His spokesman said that Mr Putin’s English had now improved sufficiently for him to be able to conduct at least some of the exchanges – but definitely not conversations on missile defence – without the need for an interpreter.
Andrew Kuchins, a Russia expert at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, suggested that the presence of the senior Bush could help both leaders. As they prepare for the final stretch of their time in office, he suggested that neither wanted their legacy to be “a trashed US-Russian relationship”.
Mr Kuchins said he could not find any precedent for this style of summit: “Is this the first time that a US leader has hosted a foreign leader at dad’s house? Do Vlad and George need adult supervision?”
The former US President Bill Clinton denounced the missile defence shield proposals yesterday as a colossal waste of money. Mr Clinton said he did not believe that it was worth damaging Western relations with Russia by pursuing a defence system that would not work.
“My impression is that we are creating a crisis here where none is necesary because I don’t believe this missile defence system is reliable enough to have a political impact,” Mr Clinton said.
“I don’t like the Russians raising a lot of sand about this but if I were them I would let us do it because it’s a colossal waste of money.”
Neither the White House nor the Kremlin expects to make landmark agreements or key announcements at the completion of the talks on Monday, which are also expected to include the Middle East and plans for Kosovan independence.
Instead, Mr Peskov said it would be a chance to acknowledge that the invitation to Kennebunkport gave them an opportunity to talk in a “unique environment”, adding that “it’s not a secret” that there had been a growing number of disagreements in recent months.
Meanwhile, Brian Bartley, the owner of the dockside restaurant at nearby Walker’s Point, is hoping to attract extra custom with his “Putin on the Ritz” themed menu this weekend.
Source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2007797.ece