Final Word from Monday, April 7, 2008
In the first few weeks after Dmitri Medvedev was elected president, Russia seemed more open to the West. Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg went so far as to say on Fri. that missile defense apparently no longer interested Vladimir Putin very much. Václav Klaus noted that Putin didn't use the word "radar" in Bucharest at all. In Sochi, though, Putin set the record straight. He told George W. Bush that he wants permanent Russian inspectors at any U.S. missile-defense facilities in Central Europe. Bush can ignore Putin and move forward on radar, but he'd be leaving office on a confrontational footing. Instead, the U.S. will want to find a compromise that satisfies both Moscow and Prague. This can be done, but it requires that the U.S. come clean. A three-way accord on radar is only possible if the Russians are convinced that the facilities aren't aimed against them. The question is whether Bush would still want the radar under such a condition.[Czech Republic Romania United States of America USA]
Glossary of difficult words
"Radar not yet resolved" - we spoke too soon on Friday when we wrote "Radar resolved";
to set (or put) the record straight - to correct a misconception, to give a true version of events that were reported incorrectly;
footing - the position or status of a person in relation to others;
to come clean - to be completely honest, to keep nothing hidden.