David Adesnik :
One of the charming things about Osama bin Laden was that he told you what was really on his mind. He wanted to kill as many Americans as he could. He carefully explained the (misguided) religious doctrine that justified mass murder.
Vladimir Putin, on the other hand, will talk sweetness and light and always insist he is the defender of shared values. If only you empathized a bit more with Russia and put aside your pre-conceived American or European notions, you would understand where he’s coming from.
It’s been a while since the United States has had an adversary like this. The Iranians generally took the Bin Laden route, although lately they’ve sensed the potential of playing nice. Accustomed to candid types like Bin Laden, the Taliban, and Ahmadinejad, the United States is actually inclined to question itself when adversaries pretend to care about peace.
For the moment, the brazenness of Russian aggression in Ukraine is sufficient to overcome any inclination anyone west of Kiev might have to believe Vladimir Putin. But this situation will drag on, and if sanctions are involved, the costs will begin to mount for those who apply them, and it will become increasingly tempting to believe the latest press release from the Kremlin. Perhaps our more dovish allies will begin to suggest that we really ought to consider Putin’s perspective. And then we’ll start to get a little wobbly.
For those reasons, it’s useful to keep on hand a copy of the op-ed that Putin published in the New York Times on the twelfth anniversary of 9/11. I’m reasonably sure he didn’t write it, but I’d be surprised if he didn’t review it carefully before giving his approval. Here are his thoughts on how to resolve conflicts and work toward peace:
“We need to use the United Nations Security Council and believe that preserving law and order in today’s complex and turbulent world is one of the few ways to keep international relations from sliding into chaos. The law is still the law, and we must follow it whether we like it or not.
Under current international law, force is permitted only in self-defense or by the decision of the Security Council. Anything else is unacceptable under the United Nations Charter and would constitute an act of aggression…
“It is alarming that military intervention in internal conflicts in foreign countries has become commonplace for the United States. Is it in America’s long-term interest? I doubt it…
“We must stop using the language of force and return to the path of civilized diplomatic and political settlement…
“[My] Relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust”
“My working and personal relationship with President Obama is marked by growing trust. I appreciate this…There are big countries and small countries, rich and poor, those with long democratic traditions and those still finding their way to democracy. Their policies differ, too. We are all different, but when we ask for the Lord’s blessings, we must not forget that God created us equal.”
For those who follow Russian politics or monitored Russian commentary on the Ukrainian democracy movement, none of this will strike you as new. Putin lies just as brazenly to his own people and about his neighbors. But Americans and Europeans may need to learn this lesson.
(The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.)
