Lie to Me. The realities of the USA - Russia pragmatic partnership.

Today’s Russian-American “reset” relations have more puzzles and far from clarity. The following statement of the President Obama: “…in past America was very selective in it’s propaganda of democracy” the Kremlin has accepted as a weakness. KGB minded rulers welcomed Michael McFaul’s confession that “Washington will not openly criticize “sovereign democracy” in Russia. We came to conclusion that we need to “reset” and leave behind the previous approaches which complicated Russian-American partnership”. This statement made after the meeting of Michael McFaul with the deputy head of Russian president’s Administration Vladislav Syrkov.

Recently (06.25.10) when Russian MP Michail Emeliyanov has asked Michael McFall about the USA policy of deterrence of Russia, especially on Post-Soviet area, he reminded the words of president Obama to reject the policy and ideology of cold war. Regarding the CIS, he has underlined the position of the new USA administration that forming relations in Post-Soviet area on the base of division of zones of influence should be in a past. Michael McFaul informed that Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev have agreed to coordinate actions in Kyrgyzstan.
The Kremlin meanwhile pushes forward the anti-American propaganda and still recognizes the USA as the main enemy in the best traditions of cold war. Moscow remains active, mostly covertly, in policy to get the Transit Center out of Kyrgyzstan, the main refueling and cargo station for NATO troops and supplies entering and exiting the Afghanistan theater, where American and coalition forces soldiers are still fighting and dying. Vladimir Kara-Murza in his blog mentioned that:” A Cold War Tradition Revived” “Perhaps next time the White House will be wiser. After all, with the revival of the old tradition, the likelihood of a next time is not insignificant” – concluded Russian expert. James Kirchick argued that “Russia actually stands to gain from the instability in Kyrgyzstan’s south, as it will draw Bishkek closer to Moscow and demonstrate Russia’s indispensability in the region. After happily taking credit for bringing about the downfall of the country’s previous ruler, they show little interest in helping to clean up the mess”. Instead, the Kremlin controlled TV channel “Russia Today” in video episode pointed finger at USA for turmoil in Kyrgyzstan. “The US is destabilizing Central Asia by means of drug trafficking, disintegrating Kyrgyzstan and putting pressure on Iran” - shared Semyon Bagdasarov, member of the State Duma’s International Affairs Committee. All other pro-Russian media in Kyrgyzstan are doing the same. Russia’s strategy has been successful at instilling views in Kyrgyz citizen that blames lies with the US. One citizen expressed what seems to be a common view: “The U.S will not leave Kyrgyzstan quietly. It will try to hold on to strategic military bass in Manas and it feels that the odds are not against it, the U.S will orchestrate civil war in that country. This formula was used by the U.S in Somalia and the result has been a total catastrophe. The U.S will explore clan tensions to orchestrate new tension in Kyrgyzstan”.
If US administration is blaming itself for “wrong” democracy promotion, under the rule of George W. Bush, Russia has become a revisionist power, with dangerous impact on Central Asia and CIS. How does Washington want to deal with Russia’s disregard for independence of Post-Soviet states? Or does Washington obey Kremlin’s policy that the post–Cold War consensus of state sovereignty no longer exists? Really, as James Kirchick said: “The question now is whether the West cares as much about saving these principles as Moscow does destroying them”.

Russia’s goal, as articulated by the head of Russia’s Federal Drug Enforcement body, Viktor Ivanov on June 21, 2010, is this: “My suggestion – create a Russian military base on Kyrgyz territory”.