Obama Prepares For Russia Summit, G8, Africa Visit

President Obama at the White House, 2 Jul 2009U.S. President Barack Obama is preparing for another round ofinternational travel. He leaves Washington Sunday evening for a Moscowsummit on arms control, followed by the annual Group of Eight Meetingin Italy, and what is sure to be an emotional trip to Ghana.  

InMoscow, the president will seek to reset the U.S. relationship withRussia. Relations eroded in recent years by disputes over Georgia,NATO enlargement and other issues.

He will meet individuallywith both Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Prime Minister VladimirPutin. Their primary goal: to jumpstart negotiations on a newagreement to replace the soon-to-expire Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty.

Mr.Obama says it is important to consult with both men, noting PrimeMinister Putin - the former president - still has a great deal ofpower.

Outdated approach

Vladimir Putin presides over cabinet meeting in Moscow (File photo)
In an interview with the Associated Press, PresidentObama said President Medvedev seems to understand the old Cold Warapproaches to U.S. - Russia relations are outdated. But Mr. Obama saidhe cannot say the same for Vladimir Putin.

"Prime Minister Putinstill has a lot of sway in Russia," the president said. "And I thinkthat it's important that even as we move forward with PresidentMedvedev, that Putin understands that the old Cold War approaches tothe U.S. - Russia relations are out dated."

Andrew Kuchins is aRussia and Eurasia expert at the Center for Strategic and InternationalStudies in Washington. He says President Obama would be well served tospend as much time as possible with Vladimir Putin.

"The mostimportant part about his trip to Moscow is going to be his discussionswith Vladimir Putin, in my view," Kuchins said, "for the simple reasonthat Mr. Putin is by far and away the most important and powerfulfigure in Russia. It is pretty simple logic."

Effort to reach out

While the firstday in Moscow and part of the next morning will be devoted to meetingswith Russia's leaders, President Obama also intends to reach out to theRussian people with a speech and a set of discussions withrepresentatives of civil society and the political opposition.

DenisMcDonough, the White House Deputy National Security Advisor forStrategic Communications, says the president will deliver twospeeches on this trip - one in Russia and one in Ghana.  He says theyare part of a four-speech series that began with an address on armsproliferation in April, and an outreach to the world's Muslims in June.

"Moscowwill be a speech about U.S. Russia relations and how great powers oughtto see this new century," McDonough explained. "And then, of course,the speech in Ghana will be an enunciation of democracy and developmentgoals as it relates not just to Ghana or not just to West Africa andnot just to Africa, but to the whole part of this world that is thedeveloping world."

The appearances in Moscow and Accra will bebookends around another round of important multilateral summitry. Thistime it is the Group of Eight Summit hosted by the Italian governmentin a town devastated by an earthquake just months ago.

Thissummit will have a broad agenda, and will include participation byleaders of major economies outside the formal G8 structure, such asChina. Also in attendance will be representatives of several Africancountries.

Ghana excited

White House officials say Ghana is the perfect spotfor a presidential visit after the G8, saying it is a shining exampleof good governance on the continent.

"Ghana is a truly admirableexample of a place where governance is getting stronger, a thrivingdemocracy," said Michelle Gavin, the top White House advisor for Africa.

The trip will end in Ghana on a highly emotional note.

Thefirst black president of the United States - the son of a Kenyan father- will visit an old slave fort called Cape Coast Castle.  It is one ofmany fortresses along the Ghanaian coast, where countless Africansspent weeks in cramped dungeons before they were herded through a doorof no return, and shoved onto ships, leaving Africa behind for a lifeof servitude.