In response to Mr Trying Times criticism of my Geo-political Bestiary ("Don't Goad The Russian Wolf Too Much !) in my post of yesterday, I would draw attention to the following extract from The Guardian of May 2006, which anticipates the G8 Summit in St Petersburg :
"Mr Putin, in his speech, noted that the American military budget was 25 times the size of Russia's and said the US had turned its home into a castle.
"Good for them," the Russian president said, looking up from his notes, directly at his audience, "but this means we must make our own home strong and reliable. Because we see what is happening in the world. We see it."
He added, in what appeared to be a reference to the US-led invasion of Iraq and its approach to Iran: "As they say, 'comrade wolf knows whom to eat. He eats without listening and he is clearly not going to listen to anyone'." He accused the US of hypocrisy over its criticism of Russia's patchy human rights record.
"Where is all this pathos about protecting human rights and democracy when it comes to the need to pursue their own interests?"
In another veiled reference to Washington's approach to Iraq and Iran, he said: "Methods of force rarely give the desired result and often their consequences are even more terrible than the original threat." He added that Russia was "unambiguously" against the spread of nuclear weapons.
In another apparent jibe aimed at the US, he said countries should not use Russia's negotiations over membership of the World Trade Organisation to make unrelated demands".
I hope this puts my reference to the Russian Wolf in the correct Geo-political context !
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