Medvedev lauds Obama (he "fulfills his promises"), laments pace of Russian change

[jefferson_dem]

Medvedev lauds Obama, laments pace of Russian change
By Alissa de Carbonnel

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev praised President Barack Obama on Friday for winning U.S. support for an arms treaty at the center of a "reset" in ties and lamented the slow pace of his own drive to modernize Russia.

In an annual year-end interview with Russia's three top television channels, Medvedev said carrying out his ambitious reform agenda would take time, but gave no indication of whether he would seek a second term in 2012.

Medvedev's remarks in a live television interview strongly indicated Russian lawmakers will follow the U.S. Senate in ratifying the New START treaty, despite criticism of wording attached to accompanying documents by their U.S. counterparts.

"In rather difficult circumstances, he was able to push through the ratification of the paramount START document which will ensure our security in the coming years," Medvedev said of Obama.

He said Obama "fulfills his promises" and stressed that the publication of U.S. diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks, which portrayed Russia in a negative light, would not set back relations.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BN14620101224

[Clio the Leo]

1. Good...

.... I had this mental image of the Russians laughing at our (Senate's) ineptitude. Yes, we got it passed, but just barely.

[Cirque du So-What]

2. I can hear the Republicans now...

'he's popular with the Rooskies!' Come to think of it, you might see something like that right here. Some of his detractors are so compulsive that they cannot allow an opportunity to pass - no matter how convoluted the route to the insult.

[impik]

3. Medvedev is the man.

He is terrific.

[Exilednight]

4. How would Medvedev know? Putin keeps this guys balls in a lock box next

to his bed.

[treestar]

5. Wikileaks won't hurt????

Poor Julian!!!!