Russia gives no ground despite US overtures

MUNICH – Russia sees no need for an immediate response to U.S. overtures to improve relations, the deputy prime minister said Sunday after a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden.

"It is not an Oriental bazaar," ... "And we do not trade the way people do in the bazaars."

Ivanov insisted that Russia had not influenced Kyrgyzstan's decision last week that it would close the Manas air base to the U.S. military, which had been using it to resupply troops in Afghanistan. He rejected suggestions by U.S. officials that Kyrgyzstan acted under pressure after securing more than $2 billion in loans and aid from Russia.

"There is no correlation between the decision of the Kyrgyz republic and loans that the Russian Federation granted to Kyrgyz republic. It was the decision of a sovereign state."

Ivanov also said Russia would continue to build "small bases" in the breakaway Georgian republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to prevent Georgia from attacking and called Moscow's recognition of the regions' independence "irrevocable."

[We communicate nothing but weakness and are surprised when treated as if we're weak.]

READ MORE