Dear CCI Readers,

Two reputable international journalists below give us excellent summations of the China Summit held last week in Alaska, including where the world stands after the Summit. Our U.S. media covered it quite differently than China or Russia, the latter obviously hoping to speak out to U.S. citizens who normally don’t get international coverage apart from the plainly biased reporting we see in our mainstream media.

It behooves us all to begin to read and to listen to responsible international voices to assure that we are receiving a balanced assessment of what is going on in our world. Further we need to respond to our journalists and Congress members immediately to request wider coverage of issues that may or will impact us all.

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Dear CCI Readers,

Please check out the following link about Peace News Network:

Peace News Network

Precious faces, music, philosophy!!!
From around the world!

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

Calling Putin a ‘killer’ with ‘no soul’ is not exactly diplomatic finesse

Responsible Statecraft
March 18, 2021
Anatol Lieven

The Biden administration has created an completely unnecessary confrontation with Russia at a time when reasonable working relations with Moscow are extremely important for achieving two immediate and key administration goals: rejoining the nuclear agreement with Iran, and a peace settlement in Afghanistan facilitating U.S. military withdrawal from that country and an end to America’s longest war.

The administration approach combines many of the errors committed by Washington officials, politicians, and the media in recent years. First, you have an  intelligence report based on evidence that the public cannot see stating that it is “likely” that the Russian government ordered attempts to influence the elections. This report is then turned by the administration and much of the media into an absolute certainty. In a recent ABC News interview, Biden says Putin will “pay a price” for what the report says his government has done. As usual, the issue is personalized by attributing the decision to Putin himself, and the U.S. statement is accompanied by gratuitously insulting language which is likely to offend even many Russian opponents of Putin. Does nobody remember the advice of Teddy Roosevelt — hardly a weakling on U.S. security — to speak softly and carry a big stick?

President Biden’s public description of President Putin as a “killer” and having “no soul” in that interview recalls what has been described as  the “anti-diplomacy” of President Trump and elements of the George W. Bush administration — a seemingly willful determination to worsen relations with other states; but this is from an  administration that was supposed to restore dignity and decorum to the conduct of U.S. foreign relations.

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Dear CCI Followers,

Katrina vanden Heuvel’s analysis below is so “right on!” Please read and forward to your Congress members and friends; that is, if you agree. Let us know if you see the situation from a different perspective.

Sharon Tennison
Center for Citizen Initiatives

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U.S.-Russia ties are nosediving after Russian leader Vladimir Putin shot back at President Joe Biden’s description of him as a killer.

U.S. News & World Report
By Vladimir Isachenkov and Matthew Lee, Associated Press
March 18, 2021

MOSCOW (AP) — U.S.-Russia ties nosedived on Thursday after Russian leader Vladimir Putin shot back at President Joe Biden’s description of him as a killer.

The back and forth underscored Biden’s desire to distance himself from former President Donald Trump’s perceived softness on Putin despite actions his administration took against Russia. Although Biden agreed to extend a major arms control deal with Russia, he has been notably cool toward Moscow and highly critical of many of its activities.

In taking a tough stance on Russia, Biden has said the days of the U.S. “rolling over” to Putin are done. And he has taken pains to contrast his style with the approach of Trump, who avoided direct confrontation and frequently spoke about Putin with approval.

In an interview broadcast Wednesday, Biden replied “I do” when asked if he thought Putin was a “killer.” Also Wednesday, U.S. intelligence released a report finding that Putin authorized influence operations to help Trump’s re-election bid.

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