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Medvedev issues cold welcome to Obama

Article published on the 2008-11-06 Latest update 2008-11-06 10:03 TU

Dimitri Medvedev(Photo: Reuters)

Dimitri Medvedev
(Photo: Reuters)

Russian President Dimitri Medvedev didn’t once use the name Obama, there was no question whom Russian President Dimitri Medvedev was addressing. The day after Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, Medvedev threatened to install short-range missiles on Russia’s western border, if Washington proceeded with its planned missile defence system in eastern Europe.

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"What we've had to deal with in the last few years - the construction of a global missile defence system, the encirclement of Russia by military blocs, unrestrained Nato enlargement.... The impression is we are being tested to the limit," he said.

And he added, "We will not back down in the Caucasus."

In a year which has seen economic chaos has spread across the world, Russia, whose stock market has two-thirds of its value since May, has been particularly hard hit. Medvedev blamed the US for starting the crisis.

"The economy of the United States dragged down with it into recession the financial markets of the whole planet," he said.

Russia, however, has “no inherent conflict with America”, Medvedev said, inviting the new administration to start afresh with Moscow.

While there were no congratulations for Obama’s election victory included in the pointed speech, the Kremlin confirmed that Medvedev sent a written note later in the day.

In the twice-postponed state of the nation speech given before the Federal Assembly, Medvedev also laid out domestic plans that promised to set a more conciliatory tone than the Putin years.

He proposed extending the presidential term to six years from four, allowing opposition parties to hold more representation in parliament and condemned state interference in civil society.

While there no official plans for Medvedev to meet Obama, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said they may meet on 15 November on the sidelines of the G-20 summit in Washington.