Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective Part Four Chapter 11 Russia: Reset and Regression

Speaking of Vladimir Putin Hillary says "hard men represent hard choices" and goes on to provide her analysis of him and how who he is informs his particular choices.  She says he views geopolitics as a zero-sum game where if someone is winning someone else has to be losing.

Her recommended strategy for managing a relationship with the Russians: work with them on specific issues; rally other nations to work with us against negative behavior as needed.

She betrays a clear preference for the vision Yeltsin had for Russia and mentions this moment when he turned back the forces of an old soviet-era coup.



We know Yeltsin kept a photo of her in his office.  There was mutual admiration, clearly.  For the heck of it I also share these.   They always make me smile.




We will never see anything like that from Putin.

Calling Russia the fourth most dangerous place in the world to be a journalist, she refers to this meeting with civil leaders where she spoke of press freedom and human rights.

Hillary Clinton at a Reception for Civil Society Leaders in Moscow

October 14, 2009 by still4hill

 

She also gave this daring radio interview on this trip and spoke of human rights.

Hillary Clinton’s Interview with Moskvy Radio

October 15, 2009 by still4hill

It was during the 2008 primaries here in the U.S. that term limits forced Putin to relinquish the presidency to Dmitry Medvedev whom Hillary found surprisingly conciliatory.

The approach, therefore, that was THE reset, was three-pronged:

1. cooperation on aligned interests,
2. firmness where interests diverged,
3. engagement with the people.

She attributes the use of the term reset to Joe Biden who used it first.  As she looks back at her first official meeting with Lavrov,  we get a glimpse of the value she places on the use of humor in diplomacy.  Even funnier, in the book she relates how Philippe Reines tried to get the button back to correct the label, prevailed upon the Russian ambassador to Switzerland who said he would have to ask the minister, and Philippe said that his minister was going to send him to Siberia if he didn't get it back.  Hillary said she was tempted.

Hillary Clinton’s Reset Meeting with Russian FM Lavrov

March 7, 2009 by still4hill

The next month the two new presidents would meet. It was a watershed moment - a very productive meeting.  Medvedev acknowledged that the U.S. was probably right about Iran nuclear intentions and the two decided that it was time to revisit the nuclear treaty our two countries share. START had expired, and nothing had been done to revise and renew it.  Hillary and Sergei Lavrov were about to be assigned what might have been their most important mission: a New START.  They, and their respective squadrons, would prove to be a close and impressive team.

A year later,  she and Secretary Gates introduced the New START Treaty.

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks On The New START Treaty

March 27, 2010 by still4hill

The presidential signing took place in Prague in April 2010.



Immediately afterwards Hillary went on the offensive to get the treaty ratified.  In the book, Hillary manages to reduce the battle for ratification to about a page.  In real life, it took a year for the teams to hammer out the treaty (not bad considering the massive assignment) and then it took all of this to get it ratified.

Her allies on The Hill were Vice President Joe Biden, Harry Reid, John Kerry, and Richard Lugar.  Her companion in the trenches was Robert Gates.

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks on the Announcement of the Release of the Nuclear Posture Review

April 9, 2010 by still4hill

Smart START – Hillary Clinton Unveils Non-Proliferation Rationale @ McConnell Center Speaker Series!

April 9, 2010 by still4hill

Yes, it was and is that McConnell Center (a very smart move). She also published an international op-ed.

Our Giant Step Towards a World Free from Nuclear Danger

April 9, 2010 by still4hill

Video: Secretary Clinton on the New START Treaty

May 18, 2010 by still4hill

Video & Text: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks on the New Start Treaty at the Senate Armed Services Committee

June 17, 2010 by still4hill

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks to Members of the U.S. Delegation to the New START Negotiations and Nuclear Posture Review Department Staff

July 14, 2010 by still4hill

Video & Text: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks on the New START Ratification

August 11, 2010 by still4hill

Always keep smiling, even when the struggle is hard!

Secretaries Clinton and Gates on Senate Foreign Relations Committee Approval of the New START Treaty

September 16, 2010 by still4hill

When possible, wear pink.  It weakens resistance.

The New START Treaty: It’s Time for the Senate to Vote

November 3, 2010 by still4hill

But, as Hillary remarks, after the 2010 mid-term elections it appeared that ratification was going to be a tough battle.  Many Tea Party candidates had been elected to Congress and some seats had been lost in the Senate.   There was pressure from the far right that threatened to get in the way.

This is just me, not Hillary, but her analysis of Putin and what drives him could also apply to some Tea Party folks who believe in a zero-sum game and think our glory days lie in a past century.  One way Putin is more advanced than they is that he is less insular.  He intends to organize with his Pacific neighbors.

I do not believe New START would have been on the agenda, however, if he and not Medvedev were president.

Video: Hillary Clinton, John Kerry, Richard Lugar on The New START Treaty

November 17, 2010 by still4hill

Powerhouse Pow-Wow: How to Jumpstart New START

November 18, 2010 by still4hill

Finally, right before Christmas, as if a gift, ratification!  It was a present - from Hillary and Sergei Lavrov to the world.  Thank you both and your industrious teams!

Secretary Clinton’s Statement on Senate Ratification of New START

December 22, 2010 by still4hill

Hillary Clinton’s New START: A Happy Beginning

December 22, 2010 by still4hill

The instruments of ratification were exchanged in February 2011.  Hillary was so happy that they finally had gotten this done that she remarked that she was having trouble signing her own name - a problem we have not seen on the book promotion trail.

Video: Secretary Clinton’s Remarks After Exchange of Instruments of Ratification for the New START Treaty

February 5, 2011 by still4hill

If anyone tries to tell you she accomplished nothing or that the reset did not work,  show them this page.  She worked very hard to get this treaty and to get it ratified.  We are lucky.  This protects us all.
But as 2011 began with this extraordinary bi-national victory,  the tone shifted with the year drawing to a close.  As Hillary recounts, Russian parliamentary elections in December were marred by fraud reports,  and Putin announced his intention to run for the presidency again.

Hillary expressed concern about these reports, and when folks in Russia hit the streets to demonstrate their disapproval, Putin blamed her for the unrest.

At this OSCE conference Hillary quotes herself.

Secretary Clinton’s Remarks at the OSCE

December 6, 2011 by still4hill

The Russian people, like people everywhere, deserve the right to have their voices heard and their votes counted. And that means they deserve fair, free, transparent elections and leaders who are accountable to them.

Although she argued to Putin that it was unlikely that people woke up and went into the streets because they thought she wanted them to, she does not completely reject the idea that she might have inspired some courage to protest.

As Putin retrieved the presidency and rejected an invitation to the G-8  at Camp David, she warned President Obama that Putin's "regional integration" was code for rebuilding the empire of the past.
The reset, she tells us was what you think it was.  It delivered or disappointed according to your expectations.  A Rorschach test of sorts.  It was meant, she states, as a recognition, not as a reward.
To illustrate the complexities of the reset she provides the example of supply routes to Afghanistan.  As we saw in the Pakistan chapter, one of these was over land.  But we also leased former Soviet air bases in both Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan for air transport.

Given the world-view Hillary assigns to Putin, it is not hard to see why he might perceive our presence on former Soviet military bases as a threat.  That, indeed, is what he warned the Kyrgys and Uzbeks of - a permanent U.S. presence on these bases (that we were leasing).

A long, but necessary land route for supplies crosses Russia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan by rail. The complex came to be known as the Northern Distribution Network and was crucial to the Afghanistan surge.  Medvedev signed off on our use of Russian rails for this purpose in 2009 (for a price).  The movement of lethal cargo across former Soviet land provided an opportunity for Russia to exert some muscle.

When Hillary visited Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, and Uzbekistan in 2010, she was asked where they stood in the reset.

QUESTION: Where does Kyrgyzstan come in in your reset with Russia?

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Russia and the United States, we think, have to work hard to overcome a legacy of mistrust, and try to chart a new course. So when the Obama Administration came in, President Obama and I said we’re going to try to reset relations with Russia. That doesn’t mean we will always agree, because we will not. But it does mean, where we can agree, we should. And we should try to make the world safer and more secure, fewer conflicts, fewer problems.

... But what’s important for us, for the United States, is that Kyrgyzstan be left alone to make its own decisions about what is best for Kyrgyzstan, and that no country interfere with or undermine the legitimate aspirations of the people of Kyrgyzstan to have a democracy that will fulfill the aspirations of you, and no one else. That is our hope.

QUESTION: And is there any rivalry going on between Russia and the U.S., I mean, in the region, particularly in Kyrgyzstan?

Secretary Clinton:... I think it’s important for you to have relations with many, but not be dependent on any. Try to balance off all the different relations you have, and get the best help you can from other countries that wish to participate with you.

The entire transcript is here.

Secretary Clinton’s Townterview in Kyrgyzstan

December 2, 2010 by still4hill

Strategy to counter Putin's neo-colonial agenda included helping Europe,  eastern Europe in particular, secure alternative sources of fuel and energy and reduce dependence on Gazprom since  Russia could shut down those supply lines at will.

With Cathy Ashton she initiated the U.S. - E.U. Energy Council.  Although, as she says, these efforts did not make headlines here at home, they forced Gazprom to compete and influenced Ukraine's desire for closer ties to Europe (and freedom from Gazprom) which, in turn, relaxed Putin's grip on the former Soviet state and emboldened Ukrainians to stand firm in their intent to join with Europe.

Joint Statement Following the U.S.- EU Energy Council Ministerial, Lisbon

November 19, 2010 by still4hill

As she brings this Russian chapter to a close she shares some personal insights and moments with Putin, including the invitation for Bill Clinton to tag polar bears with him.
Another involves her attendance at APEC in Vladivostok in September 2012.

Hillary Clinton at APEC in Vladivostok

September 8, 2012 by still4hill

She mentions that President Obama could not attend because of his campaign schedule here at home.  Both Putin and Lavrov resented  1) that President Obama was not there and 2) remarks she had made about Russia's support for Bashar Al-Assad and therefore resisted a meeting with her. Protocol dictated that the former APEC host (U.S.) be seated beside the current host at the ceremonial dinner.  As the president's representative, the U.S. CEO was Hillary and she was seated beside Putin at the dinner.  Not only did they socialize and talk issues and strategy, but Putin shared a story about his parents that no one had ever heard.

She does not mention, so I shall, that at this APEC Summit she signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation on Cooperation in the Antarctic and a Joint Statement on Strengthening U.S.-Russian Inter-Regional Cooperation with Sergei Lavrov.   So the reset continued to succeed.

Hillary Clinton At Signing Ceremony With Russian FM Lavrov

September 8, 2012 by still4hill

Prior to leaving the department she sent President Obama an analysis of relations with Putin's Russia and some recommendations that some thought extreme at the time.  More recent events have shown her assessment to be on target.

As was the case with some previous chapters, the final paragraphs seem directed to Putin and the Russian people more than to us.   It is excellent advice and they all should attend to it.
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Hillary Clinton’s ‘Hard Choices’ Retrospective: Introduction

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She does not mention this, so I shall even though it is off-topic.  The APEC  summit in Vladivostok came at the end of this trip for which she cut short an already brief vacation.

Just Confirmed: Hillary Clinton to Visit Cook Islands, Indonesia, China, Timor-Leste, Brunei, and Russia

August 28, 2012 by still4hill
She had been away and working non-stop for eleven days.  There are no "weekends" for a traveling secretary of state.  It was eleven solid days packed with work.  She had  been in six countries. She was in Vladivostok through the September 9, flew home and was at the State Department for a 9:15 meeting on September 10.

SECRETARY HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: Public Schedule for September 10, 2012

September 10, 2012 by still4hill

Take note of the date.  She came home to more than a dozen embassies and consulates under siege and was at her office late the next evening as tragic events unfolded.

To those who question where she was and what she was doing, I can answer that she was working as she had been for two solid weeks with no break.  I would also ask them when the last time was that they worked through two weeks straight for the long hours that she worked without a day off.  To imply or assert that Hillary Clinton ever shirked any aspect of her duty as secretary of state, especially with our embassies and consulates in danger, is a reprehensible assault on a dedicated public servant - particularly when the agenda is purely political.

As I said, it is off-topic, parenthetical, and it is just me.
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Video: Hillary Clinton Hosts Reception In Honor of the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue

I know it's not just me. Between 12:00 and 13:25 she has the sexiest laugh! I am just going to leave it at that.

Remarks At Reception Honoring the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue

Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State

Remarks with Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna

Ben Franklin Room

Washington, DC

June 3, 2010

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SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, welcome to all of you who are joining us for this reception here at the State Department in the Ben Franklin Room. And it is a particular honor for us to welcome not only a great leader but someone who has a strong personal commitment to the U.S.-India relationship, President Barack Obama. (Applause.)

Mr. President, we’ve worked hard today and we’ve actually been working hard ever since this Strategic Dialogue was agreed to between you and Prime Minister Singh. Many of the people you see before you are the people who are actually doing the work that make Minister Krishna and I look like we’re fulfilling our responsibilities. (Laughter.)

But we so value this relationship. And I came across a quote which I think summarizes what we feel. Mark Twain once wrote, “India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend, and the great-grandmother of tradition.” And I love the fact that it’s mothers that – (laughter).

Well, given the talent, the expertise, and the enthusiasm in this room, not only from our distinguished delegation from India and all of the people here in our Government who have worked so hard, but Indian-Americans who themselves embody the importance of this relationship. We are so excited as we broaden and deepen this extraordinary partnership. And now the real work begins. We’re turning our ideas and our aspirations into actions and results and working to unleash the tremendous potential that exists for even greater opportunity, prosperity, and peace for the people of India and of the United States and of the world.

Let me now introduce Minister Krishna, who has been a wonderful colleague and, ever since we announced this strategic dialogue during my visit last year, has been so supportive and enlisted the commitment of so many of the distinguished ministers and officials from the Government of India.

Please, join me in welcoming Minister Krishna. (Applause.)

MINISTER KRISHNA: Mr. President, last year you and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh launched a new phase in the India-U.S. global strategic partnership. I bring to you from Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, who spoke with you last week. He has asked me to reiterate the importance he attaches to this Strategic Dialogue and his personal commitment to it as an instrument for strengthening of our bilateral cooperation. He recalls very warmly his meeting with you at the successful Nuclear Security Summit in April 2010. He and over one billion citizens of India look forward to welcoming you and your family later this year.

I am grateful for the warmth and gracious hospitality that has been extended by Secretary Clinton to me and to my colleagues and officers. Her commitment and involvement in working for a positive transformation of India-U.S. relations has been a key factor in the achievement of the global strategic partnership that we have established today.

Mr. President, we consider our mutually beneficial relationship with the United States to be one of our foremost foreign policy priorities. There are few relationships in the world that have so much potential as India-U.S. relations because I believe that our cooperation is not only for mutual benefit but is destined to have a strong impact on global peace, prosperity, and stability in the 21^st century.

Mr. President, as India regains the momentum of her economic growth, new opportunities are emerging to empower rural communities, especially women. Time and again, we have seen in other developing countries – for example, in the pioneering efforts of Ann Soetoro, your late mother – Mr. President, to Indonesia, the transformational impact of innovation and microfinance, that is our hope for transforming our economy and society in an equitable, inclusive and sustainable manner.

My colleagues and I have had very productive meetings yesterday and today in our Strategic Dialogue. We reviewed progress in all areas of our ongoing cooperation and also focused on our vision and the roadmap for the future. We also discussed how we would work together to realize the immense potential of our cooperation across the spectrum of human endeavors, from strategic cooperation to sustainable growth and economic and developmental partnerships, to achieve real benefits for our peoples and for the world.

Mr. President, we are pleased that you, with your deep personal links with the Asia-Pacific region, are taking strong interest in the future of this rapidly evolving region. We look forward to a stable, secure, prosperous future for this region, defined by cooperation, openness, and inclusion. A peaceful and stable South Asia is critical for our development and security. We believe that India can be a dependable anchor of the region’s growth. We are supporting economic development and increasing trade and investment in several of our neighboring countries.

We remain committed to Afghanistan’s development and supporting the Afghan people in their efforts to build their capacity and assume the rightful responsibilities for governance, security, and development. With international support, they will succeed in their efforts. The United States have made great sacrifices in Afghanistan and invested in – heavily in Afghanistan and Pakistan. These are no ordinary commitments for the American people as they promote the cause of peace and resist the evils of terrorism.

My prime minister has consistently believed in the need for dialogue to seek a future of peace and cooperation with Pakistan. I will meet the foreign minister of Pakistan in Islamabad in the month of July. The trust deficit in relations between India and Pakistan needs to be specifically addressed. The continuing threat of terrorism is a cause of great concern for us in India.

Mr. President, our agenda is rich and extensive. I thank you once again for your belief in and commitment to this relationship, and look forward to your visit to India, where a very warm and heartfelt welcome awaits you and the family. Thank you so much, Mr. President. (Applause.)

SECRETARY CLINTON: Well, Mr. President, we love having you come to the State Department. And have this chance to see all of these people who have worked so hard on these people who have worked so hard on this Dialogue is for us a very great honor. And we thank you for your personal commitment, as Minister Krishna outlined, to broadening and deepening this critical relationship between India and the United States.

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the President of the United States.

# # #

Hillary Clinton's Week in Review: The Charm Offensive

As America's top diplomat, she would have been the logical one to send in anyway, but when it comes to reining in Hamid Karzai, in fact whenever the situation calls for a special touch of charm, Hillary Clinton is the girl for the job. She possesses a superbly gifted intellect, has been blessed with exquisite beauty (which never hurts when dealing with men), and has the most extraordinary social skills. We know her I.Q. is high, but even though President Obama cited her intellect and her work ethic when choosing her for this job, it is her E.I. - her emotional intelligence, her ability to read people and appeal to their concerns that makes her so successful in efforts such as the Afghanistan initiative, billed as a charm offensive, over the past week, a week that ended, by the way, with her receiving a visit from the incoming Foreign Minister of the U.K., William Jefferson Hague (yes, that IS is middle name!), whom she also welcomed warmly and impressed. If you are going to launch a charm offensive, she is your girl!

Although the new governor of my state appears to think elementary school teaching is babysitting, the truth is that elementary school teachers need to know all subjects and also know how to present them clearly, integrally, and memorably. Secretary Clinton would be an excellent elementary school teacher. This week she spoke at the 2010 CARE Conference and gave a brilliant speech explaining how assuring one relatively simple basic need, good nutrition, over the thousand days from conception to age two, can change the course of history for a country and for the world. It is remarkable when you think about that, and it is remarkable how she manages to take an issue like that and crystallize its importance. The lesson, if you watched the video, was indelible!

So here is Secretary Clinton's amazing week in review. God bless her!

Monday: Hosting a dinner for Hamid Karzai.

Who could possibly resist that smile?

Tuesday: Afghanistan - U.S. Strategic Talks

Even if they were not recognized as such (but I believe they were), Tuesday was all day all about Afghanistan with officials from both governments meeting with their counterparts. The Secretary shared the podium with President Karzai several times during the day, and managed to squeeze in that impressive speech at the CARE Conference as well.

Wednesday: The day began with the lovely SOS addressing the 40th Washington Conference on the Americas wearing one of my all-time favorite jackets.

The charm offensive then moved to the White House for a joint press availability with Presidents Obama and Karzai. Can you see in this face, especially around the eyes, what I mean by her high E.I.?

As part of her lesson plan for President Karzai, she sent him on two field trips:
1. With Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to Walter Reade to meet our warriors wounded in fighting the Taliban he said he might join.
2. With With General Stanley McChrystal to the Afghanistan section of Arlington National Cemetery.

Thursday: Secretary Clinton and President Karzai held a moderated conversation at the U.S. Institute of Peace.

As a reward for responding positively to her efforts, Secretary Clinton treated President Karzai to another field trip, this time to the beautiful botanical gardens at Dumbarton Oaks, prior to his departure.

Friday: In the aftermath of the defeat of the Labour Party in the U.K. election earlier in the week, both Gordon Brown and David Miliband tendered their resignations. Miliband's successor, William Hague, paid a visit to the State Department on Friday, and the Secretary greeted him warmly looking just beautiful in a pink pantsuit and pink pearls. Looking gorgeous never hurts!

She appears to have impressed him very favorably according to his own words on PBS Newshour last night.

Huge week, well done, Madame Secretary! Beautifully done by a true beauty!

More CSPAN Video: Dorothy Height Funeral

For some reason, CSPAN has not made the gathering before the funeral embeddable, so I can only link to it here.

Dorothy Height Funeral Photos

Most of these were not taken during the service which was not photographed, apparently. That is Maya Angelou in the wheelchair beside the casket. The white-haired guy kissing Hillary is her HUGE FAN Orrin Hatch who tried single-handedly to nominate her to SCOTUS.