Flying with the PM
Germany: We've just landed with the PM. He headed directly to the G8 summit talks by chopper. We are winding our way through the countryside by coach to a media centre. (Bitter? Me?)
It's been quite a while since the prime minister has taken the opportunity to chat to the media on one of these flights and this flight was no exception. His mind is, I think, on spending time with leaders rather than spending time with journalists.
The PM's Official Spokesman has made it clear to us that he is determined that the return of cold war rhetoric does not overshadow the search for a deal on climate change.
Despite this, it has been reinforced to us on the journey here that the PM is going have a pretty frank conversation with Vladimir Putin - so much so that he won't take the chance to say what he wants to say when they bump into each other at dinner tonight. It's the kind of conversation, we're told, that he'll want to have on a one-on-one basis.
The language being used is all the more striking when you consider the personal investment Blair has placed in Vladimir Putin, even before he became leader. Back then, they talked about how much they admired each other and how they believed they could do business together. What is clear, however, is that that relationship has become increasing frosty - and not just as a result of the Litvinenko case.
UPDATE: Mid air we were told that the time for the Blair/Putin "frank conversation" was Thursday evening. Now the Russians say it's at Friday lunchtime just before this summit ends. Vladimir couldn't just be making a point could he?
UPDATE 2 (2100 UK time): President Putin's spokesman has just briefed the media on the meetings he's having with other G8 leaders. He listed Canada, America, France, China and "some others". Not Britain. Interesting.
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Comments
I never reckoned that Nick Robinson is niave, but listening to the Today programme this morning I begin to wonder. He told us how forceful the PM would be when he speaks to Putin. This is, of course, classic spin from the man who talks big but rarely delivers. I'm amazed that Nick fell for it.
Most of the people I've spoken to since the end of the Cold War agree that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a disaster and the American's have been too triumphalistic. Indeed, trade issues, the encroachment of NATO, and support of Yeltsin underscore that. As much as the Russians domestic difficulties and foreign excursions are cause for concern, America has plenty of domestic and foreign interference issues of its own. If both power blocks could be encouraged to focus on their more positive qualities, I'm sure, their respective trade, culture, and global standing will improve.
The American's are quite inventive and expansionist, and the Russians are very pragmatic and orientated along multi-polar lines. This pair are never going to get along while they're knocking heads over the differences. It's like a bad marriage or Parliament on a slow news day. Lots of flashes and bangs but nothing that delivers much that's nice or of any utilitarian value. More respect for the others point of view and developing positive consensus will be helpful. If that doesn't fly, perhaps, Europe and Asia can cooperate to develop the middle ground between them.
You could surgically remove both America and Russia from the map and the global economy would lurch a little but after a few years it will be as if it were nothing. Both Europe and Asia are massive trading blocks and if both America and Russia want to do well and have a meaningful international presence they have to keep us happy. Splashing stupid amounts of money on arms races, or indulging in criminal and seditious behaviour doesn't help, but developing and strengthening a Eurasian policy might help keep something better on the top table.
Putin isnt stupid. Who is Tony Blair? What power does he have to make any decisions what-so-ever when his P45 is in the process of getting typed up. Why would Putin want to waste his time with Blair?
Blairs gone the G8 with his legacy in mind and nothing else. The only thing he's got left to claim is global warming..thats TB down to a tee ....hot air
btw.,,i call my thingy a chopper.....did u mean a helicopter by any chance
So are we going to see T.Blair walking of a plane at Heathrow in a few days time waving a bit of paper inn the air and saying he has secured peace in our time with Mr.Putin????????
He always said he should have studied history.