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Obama Seeks Nobel Prize ‘Deadline’ for START III Treaty: Kommersant, Russia

Posted by WILLIAM KERN in International, Media, Miscellaneous, Places, Politics, War.
Oct 30th, 2009 | Comments

U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones faces Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at the Kremlin, Oct. 29.

The American right will no doubt have a field day with this article from Russia’s leading business daily, Kommersant.

According the Kommersant’s Vladimir Solovyev, the White House has made clear that it is eager to see the START III nuclear reduction treaty signed before President Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize on December 10. After offering an exclusive look at the details of the new Treaty, Solovyev writes in part:

“A Kremlin source told Kommersant that the White House seeks to ensure that the agreement is signed on time. ‘On December 10 in Stockholm, he [Obama] will be awarded the Nobel Prize. And our partners would like to see the document signed before Barack Obama accepts the Nobel Peace Prize … We have no objection to this.’”

“Reaching a agreement with Russia on nuclear disarmament agreement will certainly enhance esteem for the American leader and put to rest all the talk of how his achievements are greatly exaggerated.”

By Vladimir Solovyev

Translated By Igor Medvedev

October 30, 2009

Russia – Kommersant – Original Article (Russian)

National Security Advisor to President Obama, General James Jones, spent the day in Moscow yesterday, holding a series of meetings with Russian officials responsible for preparing a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START-III). Noting “substantial progress” in talks that had some “difficult moments,” both sides tried their best to conceal the contents of the treaty. However, Kommersant managed to clarify the central points. The White House is in a rush to sign a new START agreement by December 10, when Barack Obama will be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Stockholm – and Russia is willing to do him this favor.

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, your most trusted translator and aggregator of foreign news and views about our nation.

  • DaGoat
    The American right will no doubt have a field day with this article from Russia’s leading business daily, Kommersant.

    And rightly so. Timing of treaties should not be decided in order to make the Nobel Prize appear more valid.

    Hopefully the Russian article is in error.
  • pacatrue
    As dagoat says, there's no evidence that this is in fact true.

    At the same time, I believe one of the purposes of giving Obama the peace prize was to push him on treaties like this. If the Peace Prize does motivate him to prioritize nuclear arms reduction, I have no problem with that, assuming they do due diligence on the treaty itself.
  • DaGoat
    Boy I have to disagree with you, paca. A committee of five Norwegians should not be influencing US foreign policy. I think you are being swayed since the treaty involves something you support - nuclear disarmament. Would you still welcome the Nobel Committee's influence if you did not support the treaty?

    The US government should not be influenced by individual awards, especially ones from foreign countries. That should hold true regardless of the issue being discussed.

    If the Russian article is false this becomes a moot point, of course.
  • pacatrue
    Obama's stance on nuclear disarmament is old. In his short time as a Senator, he worked on this issue and he has made his disarmament goal clear in speeches, such as to the UN.

    I really don't fear Norwegian prize committee's influence on the U.S. If a President were to get a reward from Israel as a defender of its country and tried to finish an agreement that he/she had been working on for months or years before the prize was given, would people be upset?
  • dduck12
    Oh s------, I had it all wrong, I thought that he was going to follow Teddy Roosevelt and accept the prize after he left office. Oh, well, it's not carry a big stick, it's make great speeches, for him.
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