Word: russian
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George W. Bush is hungry to make a good impression this week on his first presidential tour of Europe, and no wonder. "This is the biggest trip of his life," an adviser says, his chance to look a Russian President in the eye, his chance to persuade the allies that he isn't the arrogant, missile shield-obsessed, execution-happy global warmer that so many Europeans take...
...three generations of Bushes gathered at Camp David last week, the conversation turned to Dubya's five-day, five-country tour, which will culminate in a face-to-face session with Russian President Vladimir Putin Saturday in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The father, says a source close to the former President, has been thinking back on his own maiden voyage to Europe as President in May 1989--and recalling how valuable intelligence can be before a summit. "The old man had been getting signals from people in Europe," the source says, and gave his son "a little dose of realism" about...
...Union members who are ideologically alien to him (11 of 15 E.U. governments are center-left) and wary of his reputation as a reckless cowboy, a unilateralist with scant regard for his allies. And when he caps his tour Saturday with Putin, he'll face his biggest challenge. The Russian is opposed to Bush's plans for a missile-defense system, and Bush needs to change Putin's mind. If Putin goes along, the rest of Europe--steadfastly opposed for now--will probably go along...
...this. Putin will be ready to banter on everything from the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty to Bush's love of baseball. He may even make some private small talk in English in an attempt to ease the tension of their first meeting. In that sense, at least, the Russian is a bit like Bush...
...They're unlikely to walk out or bang the table, but they'll stress the ABM treaty as a matter of principle. But Bush could offer them things that would build up Russia's and Putin's prestige. For the Russian leader, this meeting is important largely because it's taking place. His presidency is based strongly on public perceptions, and this allows him to show Russians that he's a player, and that Russia is a player...