DAVID SPEEDIE: Diplomatically put, and not something that fills one full of confidence for the entire prospect for Ukraine.
A final thing--and this is an unreasonable question to ask you--in conclusion and very briefly, Nicolai, the issue of the impact of all this on U.S.-Russia relations, particularly with the situation in the east. I'm sure you probably saw over the weekend that there is now a return to that Cold War guiding star of containment toward Russia, the sense that there can't be substantive engagement on much and that the relationship has descended to this point.
What's your reaction to that?
NICOLAI PETRO: The fact that the West has, in fact, never abandoned containment has been a refrain, I should say, in Russian foreign policy for a while now. So the fact that the United States is now using the term doesn't really change Russia's attitude or affect it whatsoever, because the Russian government had always assumed that the United States was indeed pursuing a policy of containment already.
I would, however, take exception with the characterization, I believe it was in The New York Times today, that John Tefft, the ambassador-designate to Russia from the United States, is somehow almost a Cold Warrior. My experience--I had the privilege of working with him when he was deputy director of the office of Soviet Union affairs in the State Department--my impression of him was as a consummate diplomat and someone who is not prone to taking personal stances, but who will faithfully conduct the instructions of Washington, and moreover, who has no particular ideological baggage to bring to this debate, which is not something one could always have said of his predecessor.
DAVID SPEEDIE: Absolutely.
Well, we'll take what we can get, Nicolai, and on that relatively positive note, we thank you again for joining us from Odessa. As always, your insights as the situation has evolved geographically and otherwise have been absolutely invaluable.
We thank you very, very much.
NICOLAI PETRO: Thank you, David.
A final thing--and this is an unreasonable question to ask you--in conclusion and very briefly, Nicolai, the issue of the impact of all this on U.S.-Russia relations, particularly with the situation in the east. I'm sure you probably saw over the weekend that there is now a return to that Cold War guiding star of containment toward Russia, the sense that there can't be substantive engagement on much and that the relationship has descended to this point.
What's your reaction to that?
NICOLAI PETRO: The fact that the West has, in fact, never abandoned containment has been a refrain, I should say, in Russian foreign policy for a while now. So the fact that the United States is now using the term doesn't really change Russia's attitude or affect it whatsoever, because the Russian government had always assumed that the United States was indeed pursuing a policy of containment already.
DAVID SPEEDIE: Absolutely.
Well, we'll take what we can get, Nicolai, and on that relatively positive note, we thank you again for joining us from Odessa. As always, your insights as the situation has evolved geographically and otherwise have been absolutely invaluable.
We thank you very, very much.
NICOLAI PETRO: Thank you, David.
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