by Mark Silva and updated.
For Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state and an expert on international relations with the Russians, it's a remarkable statement - the one she made today - that, as a result of the conflict with Georgia, Russia's reputation is "in tatters.''
"Russia already has paid a price,'' Rice said in an interview this morning on NBC News' Meet the Press. Western leaders, going forward from a negotiated ceasefire in Georgia, still must assess the impact of Russia's "disproportionate'' military action there, Rice maintains, but the Russians already have damaged their hopes of "integrating'' with the West and maintaining a position in modern international arrangements such as the Group of Eight.
"Georgia will rebuild,'' Rice said flatly. "Russia's reputation may not be rebuilt.''
This is a notable statement from an administration that once hoped to forge a new relationship with the Russians. Early on, after meeting with then-President Vladimir Putin, President Bush famously maintained that he had gotten "a sense of his soul.''
Bush said then that he trusted Putin - Bush said he wouldn't have invited Putin to his Texas ranch if he didn't trust him. Bush traveled to Moscow, and to Putin's dacha, where Putin handed the American president the keys of his antique Russian car.
Rice maintained today that Bush was right to give Putin the opening that he did, offering the Russians a path to participation in the modern world. "The Cold War is over,'' she said today, as she and Bush have reiterated in recent days.
But as a result of the Georgian invasion, she told Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday this morning, ""I think there's no doubt there will be further consequences. I would note that there have already been significant consequences for Russia.
"You know, any notion that Russia was the kind of responsible state, ready to integrate into international institutions of the political, diplomatic, security, economic kind, that this was a different ... that reputation's, frankly, in tatters, and so that in itself is a significant consequence,'' Rice said on FOX.
On the question of the G-8, which includes Russia: "I would just note that I have been meeting by phone, telephonically, with my G-7 foreign minister colleagues because Russia is a party to the conflict, and this has been a useful forum for doing that. But we're not going to do anything hasty. I think Russia is already paying a significant price."
It was the Russians, Rice said in both venues today, who have made the wrong choices. Now, as the Russians promise to retreat tomorrow to the military lines they held before the conflict in Georgia, the long and rocky ride of the soon-retiring George W. Bush and now-Prime Minister Putin is nearing its end. Russia has a new president, Dmitry Medvedev, viewed by many as merely doing Putin's bidding. It most likely will be left to Bush's and Rice's successors to determine what "price'' everyone will pay for the state of affairs today.
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Comments
There's no doubt that Putin's Russia has made a great leap backward, in terms of integrating with the Modern world. The question is how much does he care? His primary focus is rebuilding the empire, and with Russia's control over much of Eorope's oil and natural gas, he's holding most of the cards.
That said, the free world has some degree of leverage: the Russian Oligarchy's investments are far flung. The oligarchs (including Putin) have fortunes stashed all around he world. If push comes to shove, those may be frozen.
Posted by: MJ | August 17, 2008 10:06 AM
Russia's reputation?!! What about America's reputation and credibility after the last 8 years? Putin must be laughing all the way to the oil pipeline.
This would be funny if it wasn't pathetic.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport☮ | August 17, 2008 10:08 AM
Rice made an excellant statement , but will anthing happen?
Posted by: George | August 17, 2008 10:22 AM
Just another day in the Bush administration.
McCain and his lobbyists goad Georgia into starting this conflict, Russia obviously overreacts because they can (since the US has no standing or recourse to stop them).
And now, Condy Rice returns from vacation to make stupid, confrontational remarks damaging our relations with Russia even further.
And the ignorant, low information Republican armchair soldiers (see George above) lap it up. Internet tough guys who can't think their way out of their parent's basements.
Posted by: Ed | August 17, 2008 11:04 AM
Russia's reputation?!! What about America's reputation and credibility after the last 8 years? Putin must be laughing all the way to the oil pipeline.
This would be funny if it wasn't pathetic.
Posted by: Kenny Bunkport☮ | August 17, 2008 10:08 AM
You nailed it.
Posted by: you want more of the same, vote for McCain | August 17, 2008 11:08 AM
I'm with George. They say they've got their heels dug in, and they're deeper insided Georgia, I believe they'll leave when I see it.
Posted by: Jesse | August 17, 2008 11:24 AM
"Sense of his soul."
Putin not only got Dubya's lunch money, he got his lunch too.
Posted by: Doug Zook | August 17, 2008 11:28 AM
This is another example of Bush and Rice's lack of leadership and incompetence.
And McCain's interference? His violation of the Logan Act in sending his own envoys to Georgia? Isn't that PRESUMPTUOUS, if not illegal?
Posted by: athena | August 17, 2008 11:44 AM
Maybe if a few Democrats would stop soiling the U.S. -- at home and abroad (!) -- just to win an election we wouldn't be talking fantasies of 'moral equivalence' between America and the muslims, the terrorists, the chinese or the russians.
Posted by: upetrovska | August 17, 2008 12:35 PM
The whole world will ignore what she said, because the same could be said of the United States.
Posted by: Cheryl Hussein | August 17, 2008 1:31 PM
They say that Russia has actually set a time for their departure now.
Posted by: We shall see | August 17, 2008 5:51 PM
In 1939, Russia invaded Poland and the democracies did nothing. In 1940, Russia invaded Finland and the democracies did nothing. In 1956, the Russians invaded Hungary and the democracies did nothing. In 1968, the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia and the democracies did nothing. In 1979, the Russians invaded Afghanistan and the democracies did nothing. (I'm leaving out Latvia, Lithuania and other nations invaded by the Russians over the years for space considerations). Apparently, the Russians have studied history, and the democracies have not.
Posted by: Daniel P. From Long Island, N.Y. | August 17, 2008 6:00 PM
I love how those on the Left keep saying this is Georgia's fault or Georgia started it! The reality, Lefties, is that this all a Russian powerplay and intimidation plan on Georgia and other countries in the region. Russia is once again a rogue nation, but no doubt the Lefties will excuse them for it.
Posted by: Green Trees | August 17, 2008 7:38 PM
We saw how Hillary rolled Obama and Obama caved when Hillary negotiated not just one, but two nights of Clinton speaking. And also, how she will ahve her roll call. Now imagine Senator Boy Wonder across the negotiation table from Putin.
Posted by: Terry | August 17, 2008 8:11 PM
Terry, it would be Kennedy and Khrushchev (Kennedy: "He treated me like a little boy.") all over again.
Posted by: DaveB | August 17, 2008 9:22 PM
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Posted by: DaveB | August 17, 2008 9:22 PM
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That's a pretty fair assessment of the situation. The Soviets watched the U.S. under Kennedy bungle the Bay of Pigs. Kennedy's refusal to continue air support for the invasion or bring in the Navy left the Soviets with the distinct impression that he did not have the cut-throat resolution needed to complete what he started. It was because of this lack of resolution that Khrushchev and the Soviet leadership decided to challenge the United States on several fronts, including the placement of missiles in Cuba and, later, the division of Berlin and the creation of The Wall.
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From these examples we know that Soviets favored confrontational tactics to force others to compromise. We should also remember that, while not really communists any more, Putin and Medvedev are former members of Soviet cadres, and well versed in old-school Soviet foreign policy. The confrontational methods employed more recently with regard to the Ukraine, Georgia and Poland seem to indicate those old methods are still in vogue. Thus, we can be quite sure that the Russians are going to test the next U.S. President. We will have hell to pay if the next President flinches under Russian pressure. Failure will be like the scent of fear in air to a pack of wolves.
Posted by: John W. | August 18, 2008 12:42 AM
If BO becomes president, Ukraine and Poland become very flexible since they willlhave to bend over to kiss their butts good-bye.
Posted by: Terry | August 18, 2008 7:26 AM
Terry 8:11 PM>that was so well put. That is why I wouldn't trust Obama. He's my age and yet he seems to immature and idealistic in his thinking. I think it's from being raised in a very protected life growing up. He doesn't seem like he matured from childhood. Even his wife made a comment something like>I heard all these things he wants to do and I asked him OUR YOUR SURE YOU CAN DO ALL THIS, and he said he can so.....!
His impressions of the world and this country all came from very radical mentors who had an affect on him since he was a young man all the way up. He's not a leader, that's apparent. He hasn't even gotten to that stage most of us have gotten to where we form our own oppinions in life, seperate from those who affected us in childhood.
Posted by: oh contrare | August 18, 2008 9:14 AM