A Word Spoken Is Past Recalling

During the congressional visit to Tripoli, influential Republican Senator John McCain once again made a provocative statement. Charmed by the freedom-loving Libyan rebels, he passionately declared that Libya’s example inspires many other countries around the world. The congressman specified a list of countries by saying, “We believe very strongly that the people of Libya today are inspiring the people in Tehran, in Damascus, and even in Beijing and Moscow. They continue to inspire the world — and let people know that even the worst dictators can be overthrown and be replaced by freedom and democracy.”

I desperately want to believe that much of this was spoken in the heat of the moment. However, a politician of this magnitude, who is a member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services, should watch what he says. The clearly-formulated phrases that slipped through the senator’s lips lead to conclusions about where certain forces want to direct the U.S.’s efforts to “reformat” the world. And while McCain has regularly referred to Syria and Iran in this fashion, this is the first time that Russia has been mentioned in such context.

Clearly, every person, including a politician, is entitled to his own point of view. However, this statement on Libya does not reflect the desires of the U.S. authorities who headed the official American delegation to Tripoli.

Obviously, such statements complicate the process of building mutually respectful relations between Russia and the United States. The process has been in development over the last few years, and although it has not been easy, it is a necessary one for both the United States and Russia. McCain’s call to action, in essence, takes us back to the days of the Cold War.

I would like to remind you that Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has repeatedly stressed that Russia and the U.S. have the opportunity to continue to develop relations in a positive way. On May 26, following a meeting with Barack Obama in Deauville, Medvedev said, “We stand high chances to continue this positive trend and develop it further on. It requires a lot of effort, and it requires continuing in the same vein, full of trust — with relations full of trust between the two Presidents.” Obama expressed a similar view as well.

In this regard, it is clear that McCain’s remarks run counter to the U.S. and Russia’s official course. Apparently, someone wants everything to be different.