[Marxism] Obama and US-Russia Tensions

[Dbachmozart@xxxxxxx]

Obama and US-Russia Tensions 
By  Consortiumnews.com 
December  14, 2008  
clip -  
Incoming Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and  Defense Secretary Robert 
Gates are major proponents of two U.S. initiatives,  which are deepening 
divisions between the U.S. and Russia, as well as between  the U.S. and its 
traditional European allies. The issues are NATO expansion and  promotion of 
the 
Reagan-era âStar Warsâ missile defense system. 
Keen on playing the role of mediator, French  President Nikolas Sarkozy â who 
also holds the presidency of the European Union  â recently endorsed Russian 
President Dmitry Medvedevâs proposal for âa new  security architectureâ 
for 
the continent that is intended, at least in part, to  counter NATO expansion 
and the U.S. missile defense system being developed on  Russiaâs border. 
Both NATO expansion and the anti-missile system are  fiercely opposed by 
Moscow and are highly controversial in Europe, reopening  some continental 
divisions that were seen in the build-up to the invasion of  Iraq â between 
âOld 
Europe,â generally Western European nations that oppose  isolating Russia, 
and â
New Europe,â namely Great Britain and Eastern European  nations that are 
backing the United States. 
As German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier _made clear_ 
(http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/jun2004/nato-j10.shtml)  following a recent 
NATO summit, 
Germany  would continue to oppose rapid NATO membership for the former Soviet 
states of  Georgia and Ukraine. 
Steinmeier also described the tensions between Europe  and Russia in the wake 
of the Russia-Georgia war in August as an âunnecessary  domestic European 
conflict.â 
full --  _http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/121408a.html_ 
(http://www.consortiumnews.com/2008/121408a.html)  

**************Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and 
favorite sites in one place.  Try it now. 
(http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000010)
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu