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

[Deleted]

Russia IS a regional power. Only their "regional" is pretty massive. They don't really need to be anything else in my opinion. This was PR stuff.
USA isnt exceptional.

So both Obama and Putin are right in those cases

[Shalcker]

Russia... supported... Poland?

You fucking wot m8?

Every country of the Warsaw Pact was drained mercilessly to fuel the ridiculous arms race with USA.

Can you provide numbers and sources? What was drained, what was given?

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They are a regional power, Putin just believes he's globally powerful...

If you actually read the article he doesn't.

He has no aspirations for global power as he sees it as waste of resources that could be used for development of your own country instead. Regional power can be useful though.

[dacoolist]

Don't get me wrong, I like Bama as much as any other Murican' - but Russia is a World Power.. So I don't know what this is all about. I just wish the conflict between Mother Russia and US would stop.

[Deleted]

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

Except Russia now is nothing like the Soviet Union and the "original" Russia has ALWAYS been huge.
I don't like Russian foreign politics, but you're talking a lot of ridiculous crap. Russia will never split and it's not at any risk of ever doing so. There are no such tensions within the country.

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Can you provide numbers and sources? What was drained, what was given?

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If you actually read the article he doesn't.

He has no aspirations for global power as he sees it as waste of resources that could be used for development of your own country instead. Regional power can be useful though.

I guess you need to start studying the subject.
I sincerely recommend the documentary series called Cold War. It's just called Cold War, it's about 20 episodes long and each episode is about an hour. But it's really, really good. Goes into such detail about many countries during that era and is very objective.

[Cybran]

Not even regional power.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...18d_story.html

It comes at a time when Russia is expanding activities outside its borders, conducting wide-ranging airstrikes in Syria and pushing for a bigger international role to resolve a series of conflicts in Afghanistan, Syria and elsewhere.

The shipment of small arms will take place in February, but Russia has no plans to ship other weapons, said President Vladimir Putin’s special envoy for Afghanistan.

“For now this is quite sufficient,” the diplomat, Zamir Kabulov, told the Interfax news agency.

The United States and its allies have withdrawn most of their military presence over the past year, leaving Kabul searching for new partners in its efforts to fend off the Taliban.

Russia has trained Afghan air force pilots in the years since a U.S.-led alliance toppled the Taliban after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But Afghan officials in recent months have pushed Moscow to increase its aid.

Russia has sent arms to Kabul after being paid by intermediaries, including India and the United States. Last fall, a series of Afghan officials visited Moscow to request helicopter gunships and heavy weaponry.

In 2011, the Defense Department signed a contract with Russia’s arm sales agency, Rosoboronexport, to supply the Afghan military with Russian-made helicopters. The agency had been hit with Western sanctions after Russia’s military incursion into Ukraine, but in November it was granted a U.S. exemption to maintain the helicopters.

Putin said in October that the situation in Afghanistan was “close to critical” and has signaled an openness to increasing his nation’s role there.

You are wrong as usual.


You keep repeating what you read at STRATFOR, but the reality is very different. The whole world looks at American and sees impotence. So Russia's influence grows naturally.

[Luxxor]

If Oil keeps dropping the are going to be a local hamlet soon.

[May90]

Well, one needs to deserve respect, rather than cry about not having been given one.

[Damajin]

If you actually read the article he doesn't.

He has no aspirations for global power as he sees it as waste of resources that could be used for development of your own country instead. Regional power can be useful though.

He's realistic while at the same time expressing strength and devotion to his country, which is really quite amazing of a leader to be doing in this day and age. He's definitely fully pro Russian which of course makes him anti Western since the Western ideal would have Russia dissolved in a decade or less and turned into another Western Europe. He's smart enough to see that the US isn't going anywhere for awhile and until it does being concerned about his territory and region are the best call. The reality is that the West doesn't need Russia as a boogeyman much anymore so it is just trying to hold it back as much as possible while it plays its wargames and spends the lives and treasure of its' own citizens on boogeymen it paid for and created. That context alone is very liberating for Russia and its people, even as Western citizens get the shaft.

[Ausr]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...18d_story.html


You are wrong as usual.


You keep repeating what you read at STRATFOR, but the reality is very different. The whole world looks at American and sees impotence. So Russia's influence grows naturally.

Your article says the only thing they're doing is selling guns and that they're afraid of Afghanistan, which we all know is the only thing they can just over the border.

Your ability to never quote an article completely, highlight parts you think prove otherwise, and then state dumb things is amazing.

[Crispin]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...18d_story.html


You are wrong as usual.


You keep repeating what you read at STRATFOR, but the reality is very different. The whole world looks at American and sees impotence. So Russia's influence grows naturally.

I'd love to see where you read that tbh.

[Sodia]

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.

Well i can see the same in US now .

[Noradin]

As i said, resource drain. It was never colonial system that drained colonies for main country like with West.

Yes, it was a ressource train, I agree.
Everything is a (raw) resource train on Russia, since they lack industry and have many natural ressources.
But that is a different ressource from money, so it wasn't "financial support", financial support was what they got in return.
That is how it always works, a country that has natural ressources and sells them for money.

[Shalcker]

Yes, it was a ressource drain, I agree.
Everything is a (raw) resource drain on Russia, since they lack industry and have many natural ressources.

We provided resources, and got industry output of "satellites". Benefits of separation of labor and all. We even built those industries and all required infrastructure (like nuclear power plants) for them in some cases.

Though we had lots of industry of our own too. USSR was world second on GDP for a reason.

But that is a different ressource from money, so it wasn't "financial support", financial support was what they got in return.

Well, those resources were converted into "financial support" by re-exports (as they were provided at below market costs). Until USSR economy faltered and forced to go into "balanced exports/imports" mode with those satellites - which meant less resources for satellites and more of their output taken to USSR (leaving less for their own consumption).

Obviously that led to rise of resentments.

[Bigbamboozal]

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.

Going by the board here at mmochamp...that's pretty darn american of them lol
Seriously, anyone who lived through the cold war era should know, the divide between superpower and not is simple. Got a lot of nukes? You're in.

[Etheric]

It's always a good time on this forum when Americans bitch about whatever Putin says.
Russians have the very same kind of talks, bitching about whatever Obama says.
Two sides of the very same coin to the rest of us.

Just fueling the lols with a simple fact: you guys are in America, reacting to what Putin said from the other side of the planet. Only logical conclusion is his influence reaches at least that far, as simple as that.

[Kellhound]

They really do lack both the hard and soft power that would allow them to be a world power. Sorry Putin, but Russia just isnt near as important on the world stage as the USSR.

[Alydael]

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

Like the USA, they have enough nukes to destroy the world many times over...... How is that not "actual power." Their nukes can reach the U.S., how is that "regional?"

They shared "superpower" status with the USA. "Superpower" is not regional. Not only that, but their army is really advanced (do your research and check the new tanks, planes and missles they have debuted this year)

[Kellhound]

Here is full quote from transcript (emphasis mine):

And another question: what did you think when the US President said that Russia is a regional power?

Vladimir Putin: I did not think anything in particular. Every individual, all the more so the President of the United States, is entitled to his or her own opinion on anything, on partners and on other countries. That is his own opinion, as I also know his opinion that the American nation, the United States is unique. I cannot agree with either of those opinions.

Let me clarify a few things about Russia. First, we do not claim the role of a superpower. This role is very costly and it is meaningless. Our economy is fifth or sixth in the world in terms of volume. It may have moved down to a lower place at present taking into account the economic difficulties I have mentioned but we are confident that we have very good development prospects and potential. We occupy, roughly, the sixth place in the world in terms of purchasing power parity.

If we say that Russia is a regional power, we should first determine what region we are referring to. Look at the map and ask: “What is it, is it part of Europe? Or is it part of the eastern region, bordering on Japan and the United States, if we mean Alaska and China? Or is it part of Asia? Or perhaps the southern region?” Or look at the north. Essentially, in the north we border on Canada across the Arctic Ocean. Or in the south? Where is it? What region are we speaking about? I think that speculations about other countries, an attempt to speak disrespectfully about other countries is an attempt to prove one’s exceptionalism by contrast. In my view, that is a misguided position.

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Russia is around world 6th on purchasing parity metrics.

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In fact "public perception" is opposite.

What held us back was destruction of production chains that went all over former USSR. "Vassal states" were resource drain rather then "support", and "losing" them is positive rather then negative. In USSR Russia paid more to other republics then they paid Russia; one of the reasons why Russian elites like Yeltsin had no particular desire to maintain USSR unity.

PPP is a way for regional economic powers feel better....

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No matter what Russia has quite an army..If it didn't, other countries wouldn't be so afraid of it..Also, taking into account Ukranian-Russian conflict, according to Ukraine's president there's no war in Ukraine just some terorrists..But a friend of mine who's a journalist says that Poroshenko (Ukraine's president) claims that Ukraine is in war with Russia when he talks to Ukraine's citizens..If Russia isn't that powerful, why not say that Russia invaded Ukraine to the whole world??Surely, Ukraine is much weaker than Russia but I guess NATO would help..

They have nukes, so they can ensure everyone loses if they are attacked, but that is of marginal use in practical hard power.

[Deleted]

PPP is a way for regional economic powers feel better....

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They have nukes, so they can ensure everyone loses if they are attacked, but that is of marginal use in practical hard power.

Dat definition of PPP....

[Kellhound]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world...18d_story.html


You are wrong as usual.


You keep repeating what you read at STRATFOR, but the reality is very different. The whole world looks at American and sees impotence. So Russia's influence grows naturally.

So Russia having influence in Afghanistan and Syria makes them a power? Those are not exactly "major" countries, and Iran has as much if not more influence in Syria.

Yes, the US let Russia maintain the Mi-17s the US bought Afghanistan, practical reasons for that.

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Like the USA, they have enough nukes to destroy the world many times over...... How is that not "actual power." Their nukes can reach the U.S., how is that "regional?"

They shared "superpower" status with the USA. "Superpower" is not regional. Not only that, but their army is really advanced (do your research and check the new tanks, planes and missles they have debuted this year)

Nuclear weapons are an odd bit of hard power, they are really only usable in a no win defensive situation. Defense does not equal world power. The Russian military, no matter how you look at it, is a regional force. Its power projection capability is marginal.