Putin: Russia might abandon nukes if others do

[Old Coot]

Source: Associated Press

MOSCOW – Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russia is willing to abandon nuclear weapons, if the United States and all other countries that have them do the same.

"If those who made the atomic bomb and used it are ready to abandon it — like, I hope, other nuclear powers officially and unofficially owning them — of course we will welcome and facilitate this process in all ways," Putin said, according to state-owned RIA Novosti news agency.

Putin spoke at a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who said earlier that the idea of scrapping nuclear arms altogether rather than limiting their proliferation was a real prospect.

"The goal of global zero is not a game for utopians, but will be taken up by the doyens of U.S. foreign policy as well as by German and Polish politicians," Steinmeier said.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090610/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_putin_nuclear

[Thrill]

1. That Obama is at it again

He's even working his magic on the Kremlin. Gates also said today Russia is ready to work with the US on
missle defense as they are becoming more worried with Iran. Wow whats going on in Russia?

[Posteritatis]

2. Really, really long shot, but that's still an impressive statement coming from Russia (nt)

[notesdev]

3. Translated from the Russian:

"You first."

[Soylent Brice]

5. i read that too. nonetheless, a powerfull gesture indeed.

[Deja Q]

10. I'd love it if a very attractive woman asked me to ask her out.

That ain't gonna happen either.

:shrug:

[Soylent Brice]

12. but you're such a charmer.

[Vidar]

14. LOL

[The Traveler]

4. A positive signal

That should serve to open a cautious, prudently conducted discussion. Putin is probably blowing sunshine up our butts ... but we can't afford to presume that. The devil does live in the details with this sort of thing, but it is possible that a process culminating in the elimination of nuclear weapons can be started. The problem of course is getting everyone to sign up, and live up to, such an agreement with all of its attendant processes of verification, drawing down, disposal, and enforcement.

So I am not jumping for joy quite yet ... but ya gotta call it a positive gesture.

Trav

[Deja Q]

11. Not positive while he plays the accusation card. It comes across as a cheap mea culpa.

Crocodile tears.

If he were serious, he would NOT use the word "might" and it would talk about working together. Not this cowplop about "you first, us maybe later." That's just a pile of patties.

I'm not jumping to joy, and perhaps I'm reading into his words too much, but I'm not convinced it's that positive at all. Not without more to go on, as if I've got any official saying in any of these events to begin with... fortunately.

[montanto]

6. There goes Putin again, rearing his ugly head.

[DrCory]

7. Does Anyone Actually Believe This?

Are we taking Putin at his word now?

[Deja Q]

9. See post 8 for a genuine in-depth explanation, despite the smarmy subject line...

[ohio2007]

18. Ya think Kim Jong Ill will consider his offer ?

me either

[Deja Q]

8. "might"? Really. The sky is shamrock green in color and my favorite soft drink is urine too. Note:

Remember, while Putin is slamming a previous US administration for developing them and playing with words like they're cheap hookers for us to get excited about... a previous Russian working for his Russian government stole the plans and copied the technology.

It works both ways.

He can use his words, but if he's going to slam some blame on the US, he has to be willing to take a slam as well.

"Might". I call bullshit on that.

[bemildred]

13. At least somebody gets it. nt

[JuliantheApostate]

20. Putin...

DEFINITELY doesn't 'get it'. This is nothing more than posturing.

[bemildred]

22. All politics is posturing. Putin is just another (very successful) politician.

Nukes are espensive, dangerous, and have very limited military or political utility. There is no way he can lose taking this "posture", so that just makes this a smart move.

[JuliantheApostate]

23. I agree he has nothing to lose...

by taking this posture. That's why he did it, but that doesn't mean that he's not full of shit. I'm sure Putin would love for the US to give up its nukes, just as I'm sure he would love China, North Korea, Pakistan, and every other country in the world not named Russia to give up there nukes. I'm also sure I can't think of any circumstance in which Putin would give up his nukes. Doesn't really matter since its all fantasy, anyway. Nuclear weapons are, unfortunately, here to stay.

[bemildred]

24. All politicians are full of shit. Why single out Putin?

He's like Clinton, a lying self-serving asshole, but his record is not that bad, compared to those who went before and after him.

[JuliantheApostate]

30. Why single out Putin?

Because he's the one spouting the bullshit in this instance. I'm not going to pat him on the back for BS (and I definitely disagree about his record).

[Vidar]

15. It's impressive that he'd even say it, though nothing will come of it, among other

reasons, because the US will not abandon nukes.

[ConcernedCanuk]

16. No country is going to give up nukes until there is a nuclear war

.
.
.

Only massive world-wide nuclear destruction will convince the human race(whatever is left of it) to give up this rule by weapons until we practically annihilate ourselves.

In this respect we are the stupidest species on te planet, and the least deserved to survive and populate.

This is my opinion.

We will never cease our stupidity and selfishness until we nearly destroy ourselves.

If the World is fortunate, we WILL destroy ourselves, and Momma Nature can proceed to restore the balance of nature.

And then Earth will be a nice planet.

[Chulanowa]

19. Not even that

No, history has shown that every "weapon to end all wars" - from the airplane to dynamite, to the machine gun to gas - has always always been refined to ever-deadlier heights for the next war, rather than halting war in its tracks.

All a nuclear war would do is make someone, somewhere go "holy shit, that was awesome, how can I make it BETTER?!"

[AlphaCentauri]

26. very true n/t

[ohio2007]

17. So what did Barack see when he looked in Putins eyes?

Putin isn't even supposed to be in charge over there anymore come to think of it.

[JuliantheApostate]

21. And here Mr. Putin perfectly demonstrates...

a technique in communication popularly referred to as LYING.

[JVS]

32. It's not lying. It's making statements based on preconditions that will never happen.

A huge difference.

[AlphaCentauri]

25. We might be reluctant to change but Russians have been moving forward

from communism to capitalism, from the empire to the liberation of their colonies. It's a good sign that they came out with a proposal like that, many of the reasons for them to have such weapons were Fascism around the world and to combat capitalism, once those reasons have disappear they may not see a need to police the world from the communist perspective. Any proposal to eliminate nuclear weapons should be welcome.

[Old Hob]

27. Anyone wanna hazard a guess as to what will happen when there are no more nuclear weapons?

let me help you figure it out,
What was happening before there were nuclear weapons?
typo

[JVS]

33. All-out balls to the wall warfare.

[struggle4progress]

28. Translation: We can negotiate some more reductions

[Dark]

29. Putin is an authoritarian. This is just posturing.

Don't trust anything that has come out of that murder's mouth.

[JVS]

31. I don't see this happening.