Zero Hedge, cited on the infamous Washington Post list of Russian stooges, reports that Putin is seeking, for lack of a better word, a reset with the US. This, of course, is a dangerously subversive idea. From Tyler Durden at zerohedge.com:
In his annual address to the nation, Russian President Vladimir Putin struck an unusually conciliatory tone on Thursday, saying Moscow wanted to get on with the incoming U.S. administration and was looking to make friends not enemies: “We are ready to cooperate with the new U.S. administration. We have a shared responsibility to ensure international security.”
“We don’t want confrontation with anyone. We don’t need it. We are not seeking and have never sought enemies. We need friends,” Putin told Russia’s political elite gathered in the Kremlin’s grand hall.
This year’s speech is a marked contrast to prior addresses, in which Putin lashed out at the West and the United States in particular. He did however note that any U.S.-Russia co-operation would have to be mutually beneficial and even-handed. Shortly after Trump’s victory, Putin said the President-elect may help restore tattered U.S.-Russia relations, and analysts said he was unlikely to want to dial up anti-Western rhetoric before Trump’s inauguration in January.
Putin also said he was hoping to find common ground with Washington on fighting global terrorism, a reference to Syria where Moscow is backing President Bashar al-Assad, while the outgoing U.S. administration has supported anti-Assad rebels. Russia hopes Trump will give Russia a freer hand there and cooperate militarily to fight Islamic State.
“We hope to unite our forces with the United States in the fight against the real threat, not the fictional one – international terrorism,” he said. The president also emphasized the need “to strengthen non-proliferation regimes,” noting that “attempts to upset the strategic balance are extremely dangerous and could lead to a global catastrophe.”
To continue reading: Putin Warns Upsetting Global Strategic Balance “Could Lead To Global Catastrophe”
