End-of-year high note for Obama on foreign policy, too
| Washington
President Obama can play golf and splash in the waves with his family in Hawaii knowing he鈥檚 ending the year on a high note in the eyes of some top world leaders.
On Friday Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had nothing but praise for Mr. Obama鈥檚 ability to push the New START treaty through to ratification in the Senate this week, saying the US-Russia pact on nuclear arms reduction will be the 鈥渃ornerstone鈥� of a decade of enhanced security in Europe and beyond.
Then there's the state visit by China鈥檚 President Hu Jintao slated for mid-January, which may help Washington-Beijing relations 鈥� at least in the short term. China鈥檚 apparent desire to avoid any hiccups before Mr. Hu鈥檚 arrival, some US-China experts suggest, may be a factor in North Korea鈥檚 uncharacteristically mild response to South Korea鈥檚 recent military exercises.
Obama even ended the year on a cheery note with British Prime Minister David Cameron, when the two leaders 鈥� who haven鈥檛 always seen eye to eye 鈥搘ished each other 鈥渉appy holidays鈥� and all the best for the new year in a telephone conversation Dec. 21. The two have differed this year over economic policy for addressing the global downturn 鈥� more stimulus (Obama) versus deficit reduction (Mr. Cameron). And the Briton鈥檚 determination to pull all British combat troops from Afghanistan next year was not music to Washington鈥檚 ears.
But Tuesday鈥檚 phone call highlighted the fact that the two leaders are 鈥渙n the same page鈥� on Afghanistan, according to No. 10 Downing Street, with both men emphasizing that 2011 will mark the beginning of a transition to greater responsibility of Afghan security forces, as agreed by NATO at its summit in November.
The White House read-out of the phone call noted that Obama and Cameron discussed counterterrorism cooperation and Middle East peace efforts 鈥� but if the world economy was part of the conversation, it failed to make it into the official synopsis.
Still, it was Mr. Medvedev who most directly addressed his positive relations with the American leader, in an end-of-year interview with Russian television stations.
The Russian president said Obama 鈥渇ulfills his promises,鈥� adding that 鈥渋n rather difficult circumstances, he was able to push through the ratification of [a] paramount 鈥� document which will ensure our security in the coming years.鈥�
Medvedev鈥檚 glowing words reflect what some foreign-policy analysts have said is probably the closest and most productive relationship Obama has developed with a world leader. Indeed, many perceive that Obama has not hit it off with many of his peers. He miffed European leaders by announcing that Asia would be his administration鈥檚 geographical priority, and some analysts say the White House has little to show for an overly optimistic assessment of what a warming toward China could deliver.
But Russia and the impact of Obama鈥檚 鈥渞eset" of relations are viewed differently. James Lindsay, director of studies at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, notes in a year-end assessment of Obama鈥檚 foreign policy on the CFR website that Russia鈥檚 support was crucial to Washington鈥檚 successful drive this year in the United Nations Security Council for a new round of sanctions on Iran.
Still, it is 鈥渧ery easy to overstate how much US-Russia relations have improved,鈥� says Mr. Lindsay, citing diplomatic cables released by the Wikileaks website that suggest some US diplomats remain distrustful of Russia and concerned about corruption there.
If the Wikileaks cables damaged US-Russia relations, Medvedev didn鈥檛 let on in his TV interviews. He dismissed one diplomat鈥檚 classified comment that he was like 鈥淩obin鈥� to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin鈥檚 鈥淏atman,鈥� and said the cables have had 鈥渘o influence on our relations with the United States.鈥�
Whether he intended to or not, Medvedev laid down a kind of challenge to Obama when he said the American president 鈥渃an be counted on to keep his promises, whether it鈥檚 on the WTO or strategic arms agreements.鈥� The WTO is the World Trade Organization, which Russia is seeking to join. Obama is committed to Russia鈥檚 entry, but White House officials acknowledge that the battle to get Russia into the WTO could make the START debate look like a cakewalk.
The White House has said it would like to move on the issue in the spring, but it will need congressional approval of changes in existing trade laws in order for Russia鈥檚 WTO membership to go forward.
So stay tuned: A year from now, will Medvedev still be praising Obama for keeping his promises?
