Obama Calling Russia a Regional Power Is 'Disrespectful' - Putin

[Crispin]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...in/555542.html

Russian President Vladimir Putin has disagreed with U.S. President Barack Obama's statement that Russia is a regional power, and also said that he doesn't see the U.S. as a unique nation.

“That is his [Obama's] opinion, just as I know his opinion that the American nation, the United States, is exceptional. I can't agree with either of these opinions,” Putin said, according to the transcript of the second part of his interview with German newspaper Bild, published on the Kremlin's website Tuesday.

“I think the attempt to speculate about other countries in a disrespectful manner is the incorrect way to prove one's exceptionalism,” he said.

Obama described Russia as a regional power in March 2014 several days after a referendum was held in Crimea, which resulted in the peninsula becoming part of the Russian Federation.

“Russia is a regional power that is threatening some of its immediate neighbors, not out of strength but out of weakness,” Obama said, according to Reuters.

Is Russia really "just" a regional power? I know their power projection does not match that of USA, but their influence does reach further than just regional "Brazil f.ex"

[Deleted]

Yes, yes they are.

They're essentially a larger version of North Korea that keeps crying how everyone is out to get them when they're really the assholes.

[Guy4123]

What else would you call not being able to project power beyond a countries local region?

[Tijuana]

They are feared for their seeming willingness to go to war, not the actual power of their army.

[Raynre Valence]

... just as I know his opinion that the American nation, the United States, is exceptional.

Since when?

[corebit]

Putin is once again overcompensating for his small member. The only world powers are the U.S. and maybe China. Russia ranks pretty far down the list now.

[Guy4123]

Putin is once again overcompensating for his small member. The only world powers are the U.S. and maybe China. Russia ranks pretty far down the list now.

China is a regional power too. They have no real capability to project power beyond their local region just like Russia. They might do some funny business in the South China Sea but creating fake islands and threatening small countries isn't really power projection.

[namecraft]

Putin is once again overcompensating for his small member. The only world powers are the U.S. and maybe China. Russia ranks pretty far down the list now.

you're just jealous america is not as big as russia

[Deleted]

you're just jealous america is not as big as russia

If you think Russia as a country will live to see the end of the next decade, you're delusional.

All the intelligent people have already left the country and eventually the country will break up into smaller pieces, most likely after an internal conflict.

[Puupi]

Russia is a regional power, however the region it covers is rather large.

[DaytwoulD]

If you think Russia as a country will live to see the end of the next decade, you're delusional.

Wow, i'd like to quote this but fortunately i'm not going to sit here for 10 years just to lol at this. And you even call ppl delusional, lmao.

[Deleted]

Wow, i'd like to quote this but fortunately i'm not going to sit here for 10 years just to lol at this. And you even call ppl delusional, lmao.

Yeah, I guess Soviet Union was eternal too. How did that work out?

[Raynre Valence]

If you think Russia as a country will live to see the end of the next decade, you're delusional.

All the intelligent people have already left the country and eventually the country will break up into smaller pieces, most likely after an internal conflict.

The thing about revolutions is that they generally need smart people to lead them. The only smart people left in Russia are those in Putin's kleptocracy. Since opposition leaders conveniently keep dying, the only threat to his rule would have to come from the inside. Of course, Putin is basically a Bond villain and has set all of his cronies up in positions of power, so they're happy stripping the country of its wealth and funneling it into their bank accounts in London.

The Soviets murdered millions of their own citizens over the course of half a century, and the Russian people did nothing, so the likelihood of an internal revolution is abysmally low. Russia has not changed since the Soviet Union fell, it's only gone through a bankruptcy and rebranded itself.

[Skroe]

Not even regional power.

More like "regional spoiler".

They can play the role of the reflexive anti-west role in a small region, but they can't build a power base of their own. They can frustrate American / western designs sure. But they cannot build alternatives. The Eurasian Union, for example, has gone over like a lead balloon.

Russia can certainly cause a degree of mischief and mayhem. And it is certainly dangerous because it has little to lose. But Vladmir Putin's Russia of 2016 is a country holding on for dear life, at best.

Russia is not a power. Not anymore. Not for a long time. Obama was being generous.

[DaytwoulD]

Yeah, I guess Soviet Union was eternal too. How did that work out?

Situation in SU =/ situation in Russia. We can say that every republic in SU have had a separatist movements, but for some reason only 2 regions of Russia decided to leave, and were stopped. So if it happens again with such a "bloody tyrant" as Putin, who kills his opponents, shots down planes, invades different countries left and right etc etc there's a 100% chance that Russia will fall in the next decade, sure, unstoppable. If you would have been right Russia wouldn't have saved even half of their territory after the collapse of SU, current Russian territory is even bigger than Russian SFSR, and what did people expect? Domino effect? Sure. So no. Separatist movements are almost non-existent in Russia nowadays.

[TrumpIsPresident]

Yea, those damn Russians.

How dare they not stomp around the globe demanding everybody conform to their standards.

Obama is a fucking assclown and if Putin chugged a quart of Smirnoff then went streaking through the Kremlin grounds he'd still be the better leader.

[Charge me Doctor]

This thread is funny to me

[Anevers]

Yea, those damn Russians.

How dare they not stomp around the globe demanding everybody conform to their standards.

Obama is a fucking assclown and if Putin chugged a quart of Smirnoff then went streaking through the Kremlin grounds he'd still be the better leader.

If you love Putin and the Russians so much feel free to move there.

[Pengekaer]

http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/a...in/555542.html



Is Russia really "just" a regional power? I know their power projection does not match that of USA, but their influence does reach further than just regional "Brazil f.ex"

Well honestly Obama is correct. The hard numbers are against Russia, especially the economy. Russias economy (1200 billion USD GDP in 2015) is now smaller than Italy's (1800 billion USD GDP in 2015). This is partly because of sanctions and because Russia is very vulnerable to low alkane-prices (which we have atm on global market). A country as big as Russia not having a diversified economy (which it doesn't, over 60 % of Russias export is oil and NG) means that low prices on these products hit Russia harder than most others perhaps Saudi Arabia as an exception.

[arandomuser]

Wow even russia is complaining about PC. When will it end?? haha