Bush: Russian President A "Smart" Guy

Putin's Replacement, Dmitry Medvedev, Makes Good First Impression At G8 Summit

(AP)  President Bush and new Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stood united Monday on issues like Iran and North Korea. But for all their handshakes and smiles, it is clear that thorny issues like missile defense are in a holding pattern until a new U.S. president takes office.

In their first sit down as heads of state, Mr. Bush called Medvedev a "smart" guy who is well versed in foreign policy. Medvedev casually referred to Mr. Bush as "George." Yet they inched no closer on the missile defense issue during their more than hour-long discussion on the sidelines of a summit here.

A Kremlin aide described the private meeting as open and constructive, but said it led to no progress on the missile-defense issue.

The public comments by the two presidents only glossed over Russia's anger about the topic. And they both brushed off the fact that their official relationship will expire in fewer than 200 days when the Bush presidency ends.

"We will build on the relationship with the new American administration," said Medvedev. "But we still have six months with the effective administration and we'll try to intensify our dialogue with this administration."

The Russian leader said he and Mr. Bush agreed on curtailing the nuclear weapon capability of Iran and North Korea.

"But then certainly there are others with respect to European affairs and missile defense where we have differences," Medvedev said. "We would like to agree on these matters, as well, and we also feel very comfortable in our dealings with George."

Like former Russian President Vladimir Putin, still the top powerbroker in Moscow, Medvedev remains critical of the West, in particular the United States. He has shown no sign of softening opposition to U.S. plans for missile defense facilities in Europe or to NATO's promise to eventually invite Georgia and Ukraine in.

Personal relations between the two appear warm, but the U.S. leader didn't go as far as to repeat what he said about Putin when he first met him in June 2001. Then, Mr. Bush said he looked into Putin's eyes and "was able to get a sense of his soul."

"I'm not going to sit here and psychoanalyze the man, but I will tell you that he's very comfortable, he's confident, and that I believe that when he tells me something, he means it," Mr. Bush said.

The two, however, are at opposite ends of their political lives. Mr. Bush is on his way out and Medvedev just took office in May. This is the American President's eighth and final G-8. This is Medvedev's freshman year at the summit.

The two leaders, who also are also are united in their fight against international terrorism and want to see a Middle East peace accord and a future for Afghanistan, talked on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit of industrialized nations. Japan is hosting the event at a heavily guarded luxury resort atop Poromoi Mountain in Hokkaido, an island in northern Japan.

From there, visitors normally can see the doughnut-shaped Lake Toya, formed in a crater of a collapsed volcano. Not Monday. Sheets of rain pelted the scenic mountain and the weather offered a metaphor for the contentious U.S.-Russia discussions on missile defense: Fogged in.

U.S. and Polish officials are negotiating to base American missiles in Poland for a future missile shield against Iran. Still, there is no guarantee the shield will ever be built or would work as advertised. Negotiations over the 10 missile interceptors are proving more contentious than the U.S. had anticipated.

The site would be linked to a missile-tracking radar system that Washington wants to place in the Czech Republic. The Czech government has agreed in principle to the plan, but parliament's approval is still needed.

Russia is staunchly against the U.S. plans, arguing that U.S. military installations in former Soviet satellites so close to its borders would pose a threat to Russian security. Moscow has threatened to aim its own missiles at any eventual base in Poland or the Czech Republic.

The U.S. maintains that the plan poses no threat to the Kremlin's vast nuclear arsenal.

After the talks, a Kremlin aide accentuated the positive in U.S.-Russian relations, but said Mr. Bush and Medvedev made no progress on the missile-defense issue - the major point of disagreement between them.

Sergei Prikhodko said the talks were "exclusively well-intentioned, constructive, and open, but at times critical."

Mr. Bush and Medvedev met on the opening day of the summit, a day focused on aid to Africa and on whether the world's economic powers were providing enough financial assistance to fight disease and improve health care.

The American President is calling on G-8 nations to write checks to make good on their pledges to help battle HIV-AIDS, malaria and other diseases. He and other G-8 heads met with leaders of seven African nations to discuss aid to the continent, but the election crisis in Zimbabwe also was high on their agenda.

Mr. Bush backs U.N. sanctions against Zimbabwe, whose president, Robert Mugabe, is accused of using violence and intimidation to win a runoff election last month. "I am extremely disappointed in the elections, which I labeled a sham," Mr. Bush said alongside Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.

Many African nations, though, are reluctant to pursue sanctions. Kikwete, the current head of the African Union, said that African leaders share U.S. concerns about Zimbabwe. But he told the U.S. president, "the only area that we may differ is on the way forward."

Meanwhile, a consensus still appeared elusive on a statement on climate change, said Jim Connaughton, chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. The Group of Eight takes up the divisive issue on Tuesday.

At issue is an agreement from last year's G-8 summit in Germany to seriously consider a goal of halving emissions by 2050.

But coming up with a more detailed target for cutting emissions is proving difficult. The Bush administration is unwilling to consider such a target unless developing economies that are also big polluters, like China and India, are included.

"The president has made clear that we believe a long-term goal is useful and necessary," Connaughton said Monday. "The president has also made clear that it's a goal that must be shared by all countries."

[yongamerica]

Mr. Bush called Medvedev a "smart" guy who is well versed in foreign policy. Too bad GW Bush isn''t even half as smart as Medvedev. If so, the world would be a better place to live.

Of course this guy is smart. If your name were Dmitry Medvedev and you had to learn to spell it in cursive in grade 1, you''d be way ahead of some guy that only had to spell Bush. As to what I do for a living, I don''t lie to the American people, I don''t lie to the United Nations, I don''t send 4100 Americans to their deaths to satisfy my own personal vendetta, I don''t torture, I don''t drill the American economy, and I don''t kill the American dream. Come to think of it, "living" is a pretty good way of putting the difference between us.

[rafterman1]

===Again, everybody hates Bush here. Since he is stupid and his job is the President of the US, what do YOU do for a living?===
Posted by vietnam21

Ask yourself this. If George Bush were NOT the son of a former president, from a rich family, and had to reach the presidency on his own merits, skill and drive - would he have done it?

[neobrian-2009]

The GOP Scum " Divided We Are,To Be United in Dubai"
These Criminals Will Flock to Dubai,..Home of " The Greedy Anti-Freedom Lovers "
Their Platform is Simple,Screw them All,Lie to them,cheat them,steal from them,and then proclaim to be ''''Righteous '''',...The GOP- Grand Ole Perverts
We have seen a " Sect of Greedy Criminals '''' hijack our government and Destroy our once proud nation.
Every Decent person remaining,those without ties to this " Evil Society '''' should do everything possible to "Take Our Country Back ",..Germany was rebuilt,Japan was rebuilt,..We Can Rebuild too,..But,Only If we Eradicate these " Corporate Criminals " the ""Greediest Of People ""
NO MORE GOP !

[apprxam]

That''s right, liberals did this too us, FF4. Those left-wingers from Texas and Wyoming sending money and American blood to Iraq having never served themselves. Because they understand war what with being AWOL in the Alabama National Guard and deferring, with love of country, five times to prove he love America and Vietnam''s freedom. Glad Cheyenne Community College of Elk Husbandry and School Oil Clean-up & Management stayed open for D(i)cky boy to attend. Freakin'' Libs.

[brianp55]

Word just fail me when I attempt to express the sense of pride I feel sending a man of GWB''s caliber to meet with world leaders as a representative of my country.

[fee1free4u]

vietnam21, gee, don''t you realize all the libs on here have graduated from Yale, have owned a major-leage baseball team, have been elected governor of the 2nd largest state, and have also been elected president of the most powerful country in the world twice? Gee, didn''t you know that? I mean, all those are such easy and trivial accomplishments, anyone could do that!

[apprxam]

Again, everybody hates Bush here. Since he is stupid and his job is the President of the US, what do YOU do for a living?


Posted by vietnam21

Hey, Viet21....were there tears in you eyes when you this? What was your point anyway?

[apprxam]

Really, George? This guy they call President is smart? What happened, he used a word larger than six letters or did he say nuclear the way everyone in the West Wing has been tutoring you to learn?

What about this guy''s soul?

[harp1963]

Pathetic is about all you can say. I have more respect for honest men and women who clean septic tanks then for George. Position in life is in no way shape or form a measurement for success. This is a guy who planned the Iraq war way before 9/11 ever occurred.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/09/60minutes/main592330.shtml

[fee1free4u]

I looked into McVet''s eyes and got a sense of his soul. And my sense that he was a giant pile of hot steaming dogsh*it.

[randynason]

I hope Bush doesn''t look in this guy''s eyes and get all gushy, like he did with Putin. Sh*t, I thought those two should have gotten a room, they were so gay with each other. With all these neo-con bloggers, you wouldn''t think Bush would have to go half-way around the world to satisfy his urges, that way. I''m sure any of these fine, upstanding righties would be very happy to go down on their knees, for their not-too-bright President guy. Uh-huh-

[vietnam21]

Again, everybody hates Bush here. Since he is stupid and his job is the President of the US, what do YOU do for a living?

Posted by vietnam21

ANY BODY ???

[incog-nito]

President Bush: "Yup. He''s a very smart guy. I envy him. I really do."

[vietnam21]

Again, everybody hates Bush here. Since he is stupid and his job is the President of the US, what do YOU do for a living?

[demwatcher]

Yeah, go on with you "Bushie is an idiot" ravings.

You must feel incredibly stupid when you realize that he has beaten your Liberal stooges for the past EIGHT YEARS.

Yep, you have to measure yourself against your foe, and your foe is winning.

I''m laughing at your imbecilic prattling.

[scoleridge-2009]

Unfortunately for us, Bushie is a "Not-Smart-Guy".

[ubrew12]

Bush: Russian President A "Smart" Guy
Medvedev: Uhhh.... no comment.

[whitemale08]

Bush lacked the experience and the knowledge to be President in the first place.

For example he didn''t know who Musharrif was. He relied on failed trickle down voodoo economic theories from the past.

So it shouldn''t be surprising that Bush is so easily impressed other world leaders.

[kansas1946]

In their first sit down as heads of state, Mr. Bush called Medvedev a "smart" guy who is well versed in foreign policy.
**********************************
Medvedev is about as "smart" as GWB. NOT. He is nothing but a puppet for Putin, who of course, Bush deemed a good guy because he "looked into his eyes and saw his soul." Bush is an idiot, so I suppose anyone with an IQ over 30 would look pretty smart to him.