By Dr. Paul Craig Roberts
Considering Washington’s record since the Clinton regime of simply abandoning out of hand previous agreements with Russia, renewing the START Treaty might not mean much. The important issue is the normalization of relations between the nuclear superpowers. As Russia can wipe the US off of the face of Earth, Washington needs to be careful what impression it creates in the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin is correct that a normalization of relations between the US and Russia is in the interests of both countries and that of the entire world. The tensions that the American neoconservatives have created between the nuclear superpowers is not only a barrier to business and scientific cooperation but also a threat to the world because of the risk of war.
However, Russia is fooling herself if she thinks Washington has any real interest in normal relations. The Kremiln needs to keep in mind that normalizing relations was President Trump’s goal. It was this goal that caused the US military/security complex to orchestrate the Russiagate hoax in order to prevent any such normalization and to remove Trump by stealing his re-election. By investigating Trump for three years as a Russian agent, Trump was unable to normalize relations without confirming the propaganda that he was acting in Russia’s interest. The Kremlin needs to understand that the US military/security complex requires Russia as an enemy in order to justify its budget and power. Therefore, there can be no normalization.
It is pointless to talk about something that cannot happen. President Putin needs to realize that to pursue normalization with Washington would make him appear naive and gullible to Washington. Consider the issues Biden raised with President Putin in their first telephone conversation.
Russian cyberattacks against America, Russian interference in American elections, alleged Kremlin bounties to the Taliban to kill US soldiers, and the never-ending portrayal of Vladimir Putin as a dictator—“the new Hitler”—and praise of US-financed Alexei Navalny against whom Washington alleges ongoing Putin plots.
Washington understands that these are propaganda issues used as operations against Putin and Russia. How can Putin expect to find common cause with an enemy that operates against him? Putin should take a different approach. The Kremlin should make it clear to Washington that when Washington stops demonizing Russia and her leader and requests a better relationship, Russia will consider it at that time. Putin should avoid behavior that makes him look weak to Russians as a person who accepts endless insults and false accusations from Americans. The Russian people want to see Putin stand up for Russia. Once Putin does, Washington will be more careful.
On the question of how the Kremlin might more successfully pursue a better relationship with Washington, Putin could consider a different approach. The problem is that Washington does not respect the Russian government. The evidence of Washington’s disrespect is abundant. Washington sanctions members of the Russian government and Russian business enterprises. Washington seized Russian consulates and property for no other reason than an intentional provocation. Endless derogatory remarks are made about President Putin. Washington overthrew the Ukrainian government and installed its own, causing Russia problems with the EU and Ukraine. Washington interfered in Belarus. Recently House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton said that Putin had ordered Trump to have his supporters storm the Capitol. “All roads lead to Putin,” said the Speaker of the House. See this.
Until Washington respects the Russian government, Russia cannot negotiate on equal terms. It is dangerous for Washington to disrespect the Russian government. It could result in Washington miscalculating and provoking a war. Russia could gain respect with more aggressive responses to Washington’s accusations and provocations. It is Russia’s weak position to always be denying accusations.
Alternatively, the Kremlin could just turn its back on Washington, cease responding to the accusations, and go about its business in the rest of the world.
As long as Russia comes across as fixated on being part of the West, Russia is in the position of a suitor. It is in the Kremlin’s interest to put Washington in the position of suitor. A very visible mutual defense treaty between Russia, China, and Iran would sober Washington and Israel considerably. By all means, the Kremlin should cease permitting Washington to finance a fifth column inside Russia. Alexei Navalny and his supporters are Washington’s agents. They make propaganda inside Russia that Washington and NATO exploit outside Russia.
The Kremlin seems to think that it is just being democratic, but what the Kremlin is really doing is destroying the image everywhere in the West that Russia is democratic. Instead, Russia is understood by most Americans and Europeans as a dictatorship that poisons the leader of the democratic forces. This propaganda is dangerous to Americans, Russians, and the entire world. Propaganda is the empoyment of lies to create a false reality. False realities are dangerous. They can take on lives of their own and lead to wars.
*Dr. Paul Craig Roberts writes on his blog site, PCR Institute for Political Economy, where this article was originally published. He is a frequent contributor to Global Research.
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