European foreign policy of the Barack Obama administration
Encyclopedia
For purposes of U.S. foreign policy, Europe
consists of the European Union
and non-EU states in Europe.
Obama plans to increase American troops in Europe to their highest levels since 2003, and station more special operations aircraft and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
ships there to provide quick access to Africa and the Middle East.
is and remains a small but important ally of the United States in Afghanistan
. On June 16, 2009 President Obama and his National Security Advisor
James Jones
met the Estonian Head of State Toomas Hendrik Ilves
, who was currently on a working visit to the United States of America, in Washington. The main issues that were discussed at the meeting in the White House included the global economic recession, trans-Atlantic relations, the transparency and credibility of NATO as an organization established to protect its allies, and the current situation in Afghanistan, the most important foreign mission of the alliance. President Ilves affirmed that while Estonia, like its allies, had suffered severe losses, they would go all the way and will not desert the mission in Afghanistan.
of the Republic of Kosovo
under the Obama administration. According to The Sofia Echo
, in late February 2009, the Pristina
daily newspaper Koha Ditore
reported that Kosovan President
Fatmir Sejdiu
, Prime Minister
Hashim Thaci
, and Foreign Minister
Skender Hyseni
were personally assured by United States Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
that the Obama administration would lobby internationally to expand diplomatic recognition of Kosovo, which declared independence
from Serbia
in 2008 and has been recognized by 56 countries as of March 2009.
Joe Biden
discussed a shift in U.S. policy towards Russia
towards "co-operation and consultation" while National Security Advisor James L. Jones
stated that U.S. foreign policy is undergoing "major policy reviews" and that "plans to put parts of the Pentagon's missile shield in Poland
and the Czech Republic
– a project that Moscow
says could trigger a new arms race – were being put on ice and that talks on the shield would be broadened." Biden also stated that the "last few years have seen a dangerous drift in relations between Russia and our [NATO] alliance. It's time to press the reset button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should work together.".
Prior to this meeting the Russian government suspended its plan to place missiles on the Polish border near Kaliningrad
in response to White House
assurances that the Obama administration was reviewing the Bush administration's plans to deploy a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Biden rejected the idea of a Russian "sphere of influence" during his speech, stating, "We will not agree with Russia on everything," and said, "For example, the United States will not recognize Abkhazia
and South Ossetia
as independent states" nor will we "recognize a sphere of influence. It will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances."
During his election campaign, Obama had stated that he intended to "work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles
off hair trigger alert [and] seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapon
s and material." In February 2009, The Daily Telegraph
reported that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
had been in negotiation with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
on behalf of the Obama administration. Kissinger had reportedly been discussing reducing nuclear inventories to 1,000 warheads on each side, as part of a deal to replace the expiring START I
arms limitation treaty.
On April 1, 2009, Obama and Medvedev met in London
to discuss bilateral relations. In a joint statement, the two leaders said, "We ... are ready to move beyond Cold War mentalities and chart a fresh start in relations between our two countries." They stated a mutual goal of a "nuclear-free
" world and committed to renegotiating their treaties on intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear armaments.
On July 6, 2009, President
Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev
held a three hour meeting in the Kremlin
in Russia
. They agreed in principle to cutting their nuclear stockpiles to below 1,700 deployed warheads within seven years after a new treaty is created. The START I
treaty, which is the current nuclear weapons agreement between the two countries, expires in December 2009. Russia additionally allowed U.S. arms
shipments to the battlefront in Afghanistan
through Russia.
During a three-day trip (started July 20, 2009) to Ukraine
and Georgia
Vice President
Joe Biden
again stated that the United States will not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, and urged "the world" not to recognize them as independent states.
On March 24, 2010 the United States and Russia reached an agreement to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. President Obama and President Medvedev are set sign a treaty in Prague
, the week of April 4, 2010. The agreement is expected to cut the number of long-range nuclear weapons held by each side to about 1,500, down from the current 1,700 to 2,200 set by the Moscow Treaty
of 2002. The new agreement would replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
, which expired in December 2009.
Obama's pragmatic policy towards Russia has drawn criticism from his opponents, especially from hawks and neoconservatives, though also from many liberals. In aftermath of the USA-Russia spy scandal
, Republicans denounced Obama as the "12th Russian spy", and right-wing radio show host Rush Limbaugh
said: "Why do [the Russians] have to spy on us? Obama will tell them anything they want to know." While conservatives try to use it to emphasize his (in their view) lack of patriotism, liberal criticism of Obama's relations with Russia focus on Russia's dismal human rights record.
was characterized in a March 2009 editorial
for The Guardian
as "increasingly hostile". Indeed, shortly after Obama's election in November 2008, the then-president-elect
reportedly developed plans with key economic advisers to push for a crackdown on tax haven
s in early 2009, and as a senator, Obama co-sponsored the Stop Tax Havens Act of 2007, which identified Switzerland as among 34 "Offshore Secrecy Jurisdictions" warranting strengthened powers of investigation and summons for the IRS, which Obama reportedly wants reintroduced and passed by the 111th United States Congress
.
On February 19, 2009, the United States government filed a lawsuit against UBS AG
, a major Swiss
bank, demanding it release the names of almost 52,000 Americans who allegedly used its secret accounts to avoid paying taxes
on their income. In the matter of U.S. v. UBS AG (2009), the Switzerland-based bank stands accused by U.S. authorities of "conspiring to defraud the U.S. by helping Americans hide accounts from the IRS
". In response to the U.S. suit, the conservative Swiss People's Party
proposed a number of punitive measures for Bern to inflict on the United States, including rejection of Guantánamo Bay detainees and repatriation of Swiss gold
from the U.S.
On February 28, 2009, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz
suggested that Switzerland might need to "make a few concessions" on matters of bank secrecy in light of the financial crisis in order to avoid being sanctioned as "an uncooperative tax haven".
United States Attorney General
Eric Holder
, who as a former attorney for UBS AG has recused himself from the bank's investigation, met with his Swiss counterpart, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
, on March 2, 2009. Widmer-Schlumpf earlier met with Acting Deputy Attorney General
David Margolis
to discuss "international finance issues", according to the United States Department of Justice
. Writing ahead of the meetings, former United States Ambassador to Switzerland Faith Whittlesey
cautioned the Obama administration against taking too aggressive an approach with a government she characterized as "stable, responsible...[and] reliable", warning that a deterioration of relations with Switzerland could lead to deeper economic turmoil. Widmer-Schlumpf later said that Margolis and Holder "expressed their willingness to negotiate with Switzerland, to discuss with us, and especially in the UBS case, Mr. Margolis said that he was not interested in having an escalation".
The Obama administration scored a diplomatic victory when Merz announced that Switzerland would adapt its policy to OECD standards and henceforth cooperate with foreign bodies on matters of international tax evasion
. On September 26, 2009, Swiss police authorities arrested the fugitive
Roman Polanski
, who fled the United States in 1977. Swiss police claimed it was a routine arrest, although some politicians claimed it was motivated by Swiss worries over new US policy on tax evasion
in Switzerland may have prompted them to act over-energetically. An extradition request was filed by the US government on October 23.
were strained under the George W. Bush administration
, in part due to Turkish military operations into northern Iraq
in 2008. Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
visited the country on March 7, 2009, in a bid to renew good relations. President Barack Obama added Turkey to the Europe
an leg of his overseas trip and visited Ankara
and Istanbul
on April 6–7, 2009 in an attempt to restore the strategic partnership between the United States and Turkey. He began his visit by laying a wreath at the tomb of the founder of modern Turkish state
, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
, whose "vision and courage" he praised. He then travelled to the presidential palace
in Ankara
for talks with President
Abdullah Gül
, before giving an address to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
. He said Turkey's accession to the
European Union
would send an important signal to the Muslim world
and firmly anchor the country in Europe. The trip marked Obama's first visit to a Muslim majority country.
Obama has asserted that a close relationship with a stable, democratic, Western-oriented
Republic of Turkey is an important U.S. national interest. His administration declared that the U.S. will support the promotion of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in Turkey and support its efforts to join the European Union
, which the president confirmed on his April visit.
While Obama has gone on the record in the past as referring to the massacre
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide
, he declined to do so on his visit to Turkey, instead using the Armenian term Meds Yeghern. He reinforced the fact that he still believes the killings amount to genocide when asked at a joint press conference with President
Abdullah Gül
. During his visit, Obama urged the governments of Turkey and Armenia
to work together to normalize relations and reopen the border.
both (final) nominees for President, U.S. senator Barack Obama
and U.S. senator John McCain
, did offer backing to Ukraine's January 2008 membership proposal of NATO.
Two weeks after a visit by President Obama to Russia in July 2009 Vice President Joe Biden
visited Ukraine
. During the visit Biden assured the Ukrainian government that the United States would continue to support Ukraine’s bid to join NATO despite Russia’s objections, "the reset of relationship with Russia" (that the Obama administration wants to pursue) will not come at Ukraine’s expense and Biden (once again) rejected the idea of a Russian "sphere of influence": "We do not recognize anyone else's right to dictate to you or any other country what alliances you will seek to belong to or what relationships you -- bilateral relationships you have". This echoed President Obama speech of July 7, 2009 at the New Economic School
during his (July 2009) visit to Russia: "We must apply state sovereignty to all nations -- and that includes nations like Georgia
and Ukraine".
In a joint statement on December 4, 2009 President Obama and the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
confirmed the assurances of security to Ukraine, Kazakhstan
and Belarus
given on the heels of these countries’ consent in 1994 to give up their nuclear weapons.
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton visited Ukraine on July 2, 2010 (on a tour with Armenia
, Georgia
and Azerbaijan
). During the visit she stated "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country that has the right to choose its own alliances and NATO's door remains open". Clinton expressed US support for Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its ties with Russia, as long as that did not come at the expense of relations with Europe
and the US. At a town hall meeting
at Kiev Polytechnic Institute
Clinton addressed the challenges Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych
will face meeting his commitments to eradicate corruption and preserve media freedoms
"Rhetoric alone does not change behaviour". Clinton also met former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
.
Under the George W. Bush administration
, the United States
enjoyed a "special relationship
" with the United Kingdom
, particularly during the government
of Prime Minister
Tony Blair
. Obama was sworn in
as President of the United States
in the midst of a global recession
, which continues to deeply affect both countries.
Questions have arisen, especially in London
, over Obama's intentions regarding the future of the "special relationship" between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Comments made by White House Press Secretary
Robert Gibbs
on February 21, 2009, attracted scrutiny due to Gibbs' use of the phrase "special partnership" in favor of the traditional "special relationship", which some analysts and officials took as an indication that Obama will approach relations with the U.K. in a more businesslike, less personal way.
U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
became the first Europe
an leader to meet with Obama on March 3, 2009, and he addressed a joint session of Congress
the following day. During his visit to the Obama White House, he presented the president a gift of a pen holder carved from the timbers of HMS Gannet
, which served anti-slavery
missions off the coast of Africa
. Obama's gift to the prime minister was a box of 25 DVD
s with movies including Star Wars
and E.T.
On March 1, 2009, Brown addressed the topic of joint Anglo-American leadership to combat the recession in a column for The Sunday Times
. In the column, he said that he and Obama would discuss "a global new deal
" that would encourage unified action by various national governments to fight off the effects of the economic crisis, including international cooperation to institute standard regulation and reform of problematic industries, such as financial corporations.
The Obamas met personally with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on April 1, 2009. Such meetings are typically conducted in the process of a state visit
, with this meeting being a rare exception.
President Obama frustrated many in Britain by his refusal to enter into the sovereignty dispute in the Falklands on the British side
In May of 2011, as part of a broader visit to Europe, President and Mrs. Obama met with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Charles, Prince of Wales
and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and briefly with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his new wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen gave a state dinner
for President Obama, at which toasts recognizing each other's leadership were given (Obama paused during his toast of the Queen, and the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen
" was begun, but he continued speaking during the music until he had finished his statement; the toast was done after it ended). President Obama also met with British Prime Minister David Cameron
and gave the only address of a sitting U.S. President to both houses of the British Parliament at Westminster.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
consists of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
and non-EU states in Europe.
Obama plans to increase American troops in Europe to their highest levels since 2003, and station more special operations aircraft and Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System is a United States Department of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide defense against ballistic missiles. It is part of the United States national missile defense strategy...
ships there to provide quick access to Africa and the Middle East.
Estonia
EstoniaEstonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
is and remains a small but important ally of the United States in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. On June 16, 2009 President Obama and his National Security Advisor
National Security Advisor (United States)
The Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, commonly referred to as the National Security Advisor , serves as the chief advisor to the President of the United States on national security issues...
James Jones
James L. Jones
James Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
met the Estonian Head of State Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Toomas Hendrik Ilves is the fourth and current President of Estonia. He is a former diplomat and journalist, was the leader of the Social Democratic Party in the 1990s and later a member of the European Parliament...
, who was currently on a working visit to the United States of America, in Washington. The main issues that were discussed at the meeting in the White House included the global economic recession, trans-Atlantic relations, the transparency and credibility of NATO as an organization established to protect its allies, and the current situation in Afghanistan, the most important foreign mission of the alliance. President Ilves affirmed that while Estonia, like its allies, had suffered severe losses, they would go all the way and will not desert the mission in Afghanistan.
Kosovo
The United States is continuing its policy of recognitionDiplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral political act with domestic and international legal consequences, whereby a state acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state...
of the Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
under the Obama administration. According to The Sofia Echo
The Sofia Echo
The Sofia Echo is Bulgaria's national English-language newspaper published out of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria.The newspaper is published by Sofia Echo Media Ltd...
, in late February 2009, the Pristina
Pristina
Pristina, also spelled Prishtina and Priština is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative centre of the homonymous municipality and district....
daily newspaper Koha Ditore
Koha Ditore
Koha Ditore is the leading daily newspaper from Kosovo. It is published by Koha Group and was founded and owned by politician Veton Surroi. His sister Flaka Surroi is now the publisher, following Veton Surroi's launch of his political career within the ORA reformist party...
reported that Kosovan President
President of Kosovo
The President of the Republic of Kosovo is Head of State of the disputed Republic of Kosovo. The President of Kosovo is elected by the Assembly of Kosovo. The first post-war president, who served until his death in January 2006, was Ibrahim Rugova. His successor was Fatmir Sejdiu. When Sejdiu...
Fatmir Sejdiu
Fatmir Sejdiu
Fatmir Sejdiu is a politician from Kosovo. He was the leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo and was the first President of the Republic of Kosovo.-Early life and education:...
, Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Kosovo
The Prime Minister of Kosovo is Head of Government of the disputed Republic of Kosovo .The Prime Minister and the Government of Kosovo, which he or she heads, are responsible for their actions to the Assembly of Kosovo, of which they must all be members...
Hashim Thaci
Hashim Thaci
Hashim Thaçi is the Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, the leader of the Democratic Party of Kosovo , and former political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army .-Early life and education:...
, and Foreign Minister
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosovo)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Kosovo is the ministry in the Government of Kosovo which is in charge of foreign relations and admission of Kosovo into the European Union.-Foreign Ministers:*2008-2010: Skënder Hyseni...
Skender Hyseni
Skënder Hyseni
Skënder Hyseni is a former foreign minister of the Republic of Kosovo . Hyseni graduated at the University of Pristina, branch of English Language and Literature in 1979...
were personally assured by United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
that the Obama administration would lobby internationally to expand diplomatic recognition of Kosovo, which declared independence
2008 Kosovo declaration of independence
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence was adopted on 17 February 2008 by individual members of the Assembly of Kosovo acting in personal capacity and not binding to the Assembly itself...
from Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
in 2008 and has been recognized by 56 countries as of March 2009.
Russia
In a speech on February 7, 2009, Vice President of the United StatesVice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
discussed a shift in U.S. policy towards Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
towards "co-operation and consultation" while National Security Advisor James L. Jones
James L. Jones
James Logan Jones, Jr. is the former United States National Security Advisor and a retired United States Marine Corps General....
stated that U.S. foreign policy is undergoing "major policy reviews" and that "plans to put parts of the Pentagon's missile shield in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
– a project that Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
says could trigger a new arms race – were being put on ice and that talks on the shield would be broadened." Biden also stated that the "last few years have seen a dangerous drift in relations between Russia and our [NATO] alliance. It's time to press the reset button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should work together.".
Prior to this meeting the Russian government suspended its plan to place missiles on the Polish border near Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad is a seaport and the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea...
in response to White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
assurances that the Obama administration was reviewing the Bush administration's plans to deploy a missile defense shield in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Biden rejected the idea of a Russian "sphere of influence" during his speech, stating, "We will not agree with Russia on everything," and said, "For example, the United States will not recognize Abkhazia
Abkhazia
Abkhazia is a disputed political entity on the eastern coast of the Black Sea and the south-western flank of the Caucasus.Abkhazia considers itself an independent state, called the Republic of Abkhazia or Apsny...
and South Ossetia
South Ossetia
South Ossetia or Tskhinvali Region is a disputed region and partly recognized state in the South Caucasus, located in the territory of the South Ossetian Autonomous Oblast within the former Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic....
as independent states" nor will we "recognize a sphere of influence. It will remain our view that sovereign states have the right to make their own decisions and choose their own alliances."
During his election campaign, Obama had stated that he intended to "work with Russia to take U.S. and Russian ballistic missiles
Intercontinental ballistic missile
An intercontinental ballistic missile is a ballistic missile with a long range typically designed for nuclear weapons delivery...
off hair trigger alert [and] seek dramatic reductions in U.S. and Russian stockpiles of nuclear weapon
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s and material." In February 2009, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger
Henry Kissinger
Heinz Alfred "Henry" Kissinger is a German-born American academic, political scientist, diplomat, and businessman. He is a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. He served as National Security Advisor and later concurrently as Secretary of State in the administrations of Presidents Richard Nixon and...
had been in negotiation with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
on behalf of the Obama administration. Kissinger had reportedly been discussing reducing nuclear inventories to 1,000 warheads on each side, as part of a deal to replace the expiring START I
START I
START was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994...
arms limitation treaty.
On April 1, 2009, Obama and Medvedev met in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
to discuss bilateral relations. In a joint statement, the two leaders said, "We ... are ready to move beyond Cold War mentalities and chart a fresh start in relations between our two countries." They stated a mutual goal of a "nuclear-free
Nuclear-free zone
A nuclear-free zone is an area where nuclear weapons and nuclear power are banned. The specific ramifications of these depend on the locale in question....
" world and committed to renegotiating their treaties on intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear armaments.
On July 6, 2009, President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama and President Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
held a three hour meeting in the Kremlin
Kremlin
A kremlin , same root as in kremen is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. They agreed in principle to cutting their nuclear stockpiles to below 1,700 deployed warheads within seven years after a new treaty is created. The START I
START I
START was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994...
treaty, which is the current nuclear weapons agreement between the two countries, expires in December 2009. Russia additionally allowed U.S. arms
Weapon
A weapon, arm, or armament is a tool or instrument used with the aim of causing damage or harm to living beings or artificial structures or systems...
shipments to the battlefront in Afghanistan
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
through Russia.
During a three-day trip (started July 20, 2009) to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
and Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
Vice President
Vice President of the United States
The Vice President of the United States is the holder of a public office created by the United States Constitution. The Vice President, together with the President of the United States, is indirectly elected by the people, through the Electoral College, to a four-year term...
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
again stated that the United States will not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, and urged "the world" not to recognize them as independent states.
On March 24, 2010 the United States and Russia reached an agreement to reduce their stockpiles of nuclear weapons. President Obama and President Medvedev are set sign a treaty in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, the week of April 4, 2010. The agreement is expected to cut the number of long-range nuclear weapons held by each side to about 1,500, down from the current 1,700 to 2,200 set by the Moscow Treaty
SORT
The Treaty Between the United States of America and the Russian Federation on Strategic Offensive Reductions , also known as the Treaty of Moscow, was a strategic arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia that was in force from June 2003 until February 2011 when it was superseded...
of 2002. The new agreement would replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty
START I
START was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994...
, which expired in December 2009.
Obama's pragmatic policy towards Russia has drawn criticism from his opponents, especially from hawks and neoconservatives, though also from many liberals. In aftermath of the USA-Russia spy scandal
Illegals Program
The Illegals Program, as it was called by the United States Department of Justice, was a network of Russian sleeper agents under non-official cover whose investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation culminated in the arrest of ten agents and a prisoner swap between Russia and the United...
, Republicans denounced Obama as the "12th Russian spy", and right-wing radio show host Rush Limbaugh
Rush Limbaugh
Rush Hudson Limbaugh III is an American radio talk show host, conservative political commentator, and an opinion leader in American conservatism. He hosts The Rush Limbaugh Show which is aired throughout the U.S. on Premiere Radio Networks and is the highest-rated talk-radio program in the United...
said: "Why do [the Russians] have to spy on us? Obama will tell them anything they want to know." While conservatives try to use it to emphasize his (in their view) lack of patriotism, liberal criticism of Obama's relations with Russia focus on Russia's dismal human rights record.
Switzerland
The Obama administration's foreign policy toward SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
was characterized in a March 2009 editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
for The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
as "increasingly hostile". Indeed, shortly after Obama's election in November 2008, the then-president-elect
President-elect of the United States
President-elect of the United States is the title used for an incoming President of the United States in the period between the general election on Election Day in November and noon eastern standard time on Inauguration Day, January 20, during which he is not in office yet...
reportedly developed plans with key economic advisers to push for a crackdown on tax haven
Tax haven
A tax haven is a state or a country or territory where certain taxes are levied at a low rate or not at all while offering due process, good governance and a low corruption rate....
s in early 2009, and as a senator, Obama co-sponsored the Stop Tax Havens Act of 2007, which identified Switzerland as among 34 "Offshore Secrecy Jurisdictions" warranting strengthened powers of investigation and summons for the IRS, which Obama reportedly wants reintroduced and passed by the 111th United States Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
.
On February 19, 2009, the United States government filed a lawsuit against UBS AG
UBS AG
UBS AG is a Swiss global financial services company headquartered in Basel and Zürich, Switzerland, which provides investment banking, asset management, and wealth management services for private, corporate, and institutional clients worldwide, as well as retail clients in Switzerland...
, a major Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
bank, demanding it release the names of almost 52,000 Americans who allegedly used its secret accounts to avoid paying taxes
Taxation in the United States
The United States is a federal republic with autonomous state and local governments. Taxes are imposed in the United States at each of these levels. These include taxes on income, property, sales, imports, payroll, estates and gifts, as well as various fees.Taxes are imposed on net income of...
on their income. In the matter of U.S. v. UBS AG (2009), the Switzerland-based bank stands accused by U.S. authorities of "conspiring to defraud the U.S. by helping Americans hide accounts from the IRS
Internal Revenue Service
The Internal Revenue Service is the revenue service of the United States federal government. The agency is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, and is under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue...
". In response to the U.S. suit, the conservative Swiss People's Party
Swiss People's Party
The Swiss People's Party , also known as the Democratic Union of the Centre , is a conservative political party in Switzerland. Chaired by Toni Brunner, but spearheaded by Christoph Blocher, the party is the largest party in the Federal Assembly, with 58 members of the National Council and 6 of...
proposed a number of punitive measures for Bern to inflict on the United States, including rejection of Guantánamo Bay detainees and repatriation of Swiss gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
from the U.S.
On February 28, 2009, Swiss President Hans-Rudolf Merz
Hans-Rudolf Merz
Hans-Rudolf Merz is a Swiss politician of FDP.The Liberals and member of the Swiss Federal Council . He is the head of the Federal Department of Finance and President of the Swiss Confederation for 2009...
suggested that Switzerland might need to "make a few concessions" on matters of bank secrecy in light of the financial crisis in order to avoid being sanctioned as "an uncooperative tax haven".
United States Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Eric Holder
Eric Holder
Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position, serving under President Barack Obama....
, who as a former attorney for UBS AG has recused himself from the bank's investigation, met with his Swiss counterpart, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf
Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf is a Swiss lawyer, politician, and member of the Swiss Federal Council since 2008. She is currently the head of the Federal Department of Finance ....
, on March 2, 2009. Widmer-Schlumpf earlier met with Acting Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General
United States Deputy Attorney General is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Justice. In the United States federal government, the Deputy Attorney General oversees the day-to-day operation of the Department of Justice, and may act as Attorney General during the...
David Margolis
David Margolis
David Israel Margolis was an American industrialist who served as president and chairman of Colt Industries, who was a confidant of former Mayor of New York City Ed Koch....
to discuss "international finance issues", according to the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
. Writing ahead of the meetings, former United States Ambassador to Switzerland Faith Whittlesey
Faith Whittlesey
Faith Ryan Whittlesey is a former Republican politician and White House Senior Staff member notable for her effort to communicate Reagan's entire policy agenda to U.S...
cautioned the Obama administration against taking too aggressive an approach with a government she characterized as "stable, responsible...[and] reliable", warning that a deterioration of relations with Switzerland could lead to deeper economic turmoil. Widmer-Schlumpf later said that Margolis and Holder "expressed their willingness to negotiate with Switzerland, to discuss with us, and especially in the UBS case, Mr. Margolis said that he was not interested in having an escalation".
The Obama administration scored a diplomatic victory when Merz announced that Switzerland would adapt its policy to OECD standards and henceforth cooperate with foreign bodies on matters of international tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. On September 26, 2009, Swiss police authorities arrested the fugitive
Fugitive
A fugitive is a person who is fleeing from custody, whether it be from private slavery, a government arrest, government or non-government questioning, vigilante violence, or outraged private individuals...
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski
Roman Polanski is a French-Polish film director, producer, writer and actor. Having made films in Poland, Britain, France and the USA, he is considered one of the few "truly international filmmakers."...
, who fled the United States in 1977. Swiss police claimed it was a routine arrest, although some politicians claimed it was motivated by Swiss worries over new US policy on tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
in Switzerland may have prompted them to act over-energetically. An extradition request was filed by the US government on October 23.
Turkey
Ties with TurkeyTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
were strained under the George W. Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
, in part due to Turkish military operations into northern Iraq
2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq
The 2008 Turkish incursion into northern Iraq, code-named Operation Sun by the Turkish Armed Forces, began on February 21, 2008, when the Turkish Army sent troops into northern Iraq to target the Kurdistan Workers Party . The ground offensive was preceded by Turkish Air Force aerial bombardments...
in 2008. Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
visited the country on March 7, 2009, in a bid to renew good relations. President Barack Obama added Turkey to the Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an leg of his overseas trip and visited Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
and Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
on April 6–7, 2009 in an attempt to restore the strategic partnership between the United States and Turkey. He began his visit by laying a wreath at the tomb of the founder of modern Turkish state
Anitkabir
Anıtkabir is the mausoleum of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the leader of the Turkish War of Independence and the founder and first president of the Republic of Turkey...
, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk was an Ottoman and Turkish army officer, revolutionary statesman, writer, and the first President of Turkey. He is credited with being the founder of the Republic of Turkey....
, whose "vision and courage" he praised. He then travelled to the presidential palace
Çankaya Köskü
Çankaya Köşkü or Çankaya Köşk is the official residence of the President of Turkey. It is located in the Çankaya district of Ankara, which lends its name to the palace. The name is sometimes used as a metonymy for the current president. The Çankaya Presidential Compound stretches over of land...
in Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
for talks with President
President of Turkey
The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions...
Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
, before giving an address to the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
Grand National Assembly of Turkey
The Grand National Assembly of Turkey , usually referred to simply as the Meclis , is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Constitution. It was founded in Ankara on 23 April 1920 in the midst of the Turkish War of Independence...
. He said Turkey's accession to the
Accession of Turkey to the European Union
Turkey's application to accede to the European Union was made on 14 April 1987. Turkey has been an associate member of the European Union and its predecessors since 1963...
European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
would send an important signal to the Muslim world
Muslim world
The term Muslim world has several meanings. In a religious sense, it refers to those who adhere to the teachings of Islam, referred to as Muslims. In a cultural sense, it refers to Islamic civilization, inclusive of non-Muslims living in that civilization...
and firmly anchor the country in Europe. The trip marked Obama's first visit to a Muslim majority country.
Obama has asserted that a close relationship with a stable, democratic, Western-oriented
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
Republic of Turkey is an important U.S. national interest. His administration declared that the U.S. will support the promotion of democracy, human rights, and freedom of expression in Turkey and support its efforts to join the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, which the president confirmed on his April visit.
While Obama has gone on the record in the past as referring to the massacre
Armenian Genocide
The Armenian Genocide—also known as the Armenian Holocaust, the Armenian Massacres and, by Armenians, as the Great Crime—refers to the deliberate and systematic destruction of the Armenian population of the Ottoman Empire during and just after World War I...
of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire as genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
, he declined to do so on his visit to Turkey, instead using the Armenian term Meds Yeghern. He reinforced the fact that he still believes the killings amount to genocide when asked at a joint press conference with President
President of Turkey
The President of Turkey is the head of state of the Republic of Turkey. The presidency is largely a ceremonial office but has some important functions...
Abdullah Gül
Abdullah Gül
Dr. Abdullah Gül, GCB is the 11th and current President of the Republic of Turkey, serving in that office since 28 August 2007. He previously served for four months as Prime Minister from 2002-03, and as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2003-07....
. During his visit, Obama urged the governments of Turkey and Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
to work together to normalize relations and reopen the border.
Ukraine
During the 2008 United States presidential electionUnited States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
both (final) nominees for President, U.S. senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
and U.S. senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, did offer backing to Ukraine's January 2008 membership proposal of NATO.
Two weeks after a visit by President Obama to Russia in July 2009 Vice President Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...
visited Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
. During the visit Biden assured the Ukrainian government that the United States would continue to support Ukraine’s bid to join NATO despite Russia’s objections, "the reset of relationship with Russia" (that the Obama administration wants to pursue) will not come at Ukraine’s expense and Biden (once again) rejected the idea of a Russian "sphere of influence": "We do not recognize anyone else's right to dictate to you or any other country what alliances you will seek to belong to or what relationships you -- bilateral relationships you have". This echoed President Obama speech of July 7, 2009 at the New Economic School
New Economic School
New Economic School, NES is a graduate school of economics in Moscow, Russia.-Alumni and students:...
during his (July 2009) visit to Russia: "We must apply state sovereignty to all nations -- and that includes nations like Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and Ukraine".
In a joint statement on December 4, 2009 President Obama and the President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Medvedev
Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev is the third President of the Russian Federation.Born to a family of academics, Medvedev graduated from the Law Department of Leningrad State University in 1987. He defended his dissertation in 1990 and worked as a docent at his alma mater, now renamed to Saint...
confirmed the assurances of security to Ukraine, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
and Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
given on the heels of these countries’ consent in 1994 to give up their nuclear weapons.
Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Clinton visited Ukraine on July 2, 2010 (on a tour with Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
). During the visit she stated "Ukraine is a sovereign and independent country that has the right to choose its own alliances and NATO's door remains open". Clinton expressed US support for Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its ties with Russia, as long as that did not come at the expense of relations with Europe
Ukraine and the European Union
Relations between Ukraine and the European Union are currently shaped via the European Neighbourhood Policy , a foreign policy instrument of the EU designed for the countries it borders....
and the US. At a town hall meeting
Town hall meeting
A town hall meeting is an American English term given to an informal public meeting. Everybody in a town community is invited to attend, not always to voice their opinions, but to hear the responses from public figures and elected officials about shared subjects of interest. Attendees rarely voted...
at Kiev Polytechnic Institute
Kiev Polytechnic Institute
The National Technical University of Ukraine “Kyiv Polytechnic Institute” is a major university in Kiev, Ukraine.-History:The institute was founded in 1898. At that time it had four departments: Mechanical, Chemical, Agricultural, and Civil Engineering. The first enrolment constituted 360 students...
Clinton addressed the challenges Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Yanukovych
Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych is a Ukrainian politician who has been the President of Ukraine since February 2010.Yanukovych served as the Governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 to 2002...
will face meeting his commitments to eradicate corruption and preserve media freedoms
Freedom of the press in Ukraine
Although press freedom in Ukraine has never been rated higher that "partly free" by Freedom House it is still considered to be among the freest of all post-Soviet states and has significantly improved since the Orange Revolution of 2004...
"Rhetoric alone does not change behaviour". Clinton also met former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Tymoshenko
Yulia Volodymyrivna Tymoshenko , née Grigyan , born 27 November 1960, is a Ukrainian politician. She was the Prime Minister of Ukraine from 24 January to 8 September 2005, and again from 18 December 2007 to 4 March 2010. She placed third in Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful...
.
United Kingdom
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
enjoyed a "special relationship
Special relationship
The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill...
" with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, particularly during the government
Blair Ministry
Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom for three successive parliamentary terms from 1997-2007. His Cabinet was reshuffled for each new parliament as well as changed during the three periods.-Formation:...
of Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
. Obama was sworn in
Inauguration of Barack Obama
The inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States took place on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The inauguration, which set a record attendance for any event held in Washington, D.C., marked the commencement of the four-year term of Barack Obama as President and Joe...
as President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
in the midst of a global recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
, which continues to deeply affect both countries.
Questions have arisen, especially in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, over Obama's intentions regarding the future of the "special relationship" between the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Comments made by White House Press Secretary
White House Press Secretary
The White House Press Secretary is a senior White House official whose primary responsibility is to act as spokesperson for the government administration....
Robert Gibbs
Robert Gibbs
Robert Lane Gibbs was the 28th White House Press Secretary. Gibbs was the communications director for then-U.S. Senator Barack Obama and Obama's 2008 presidential campaign...
on February 21, 2009, attracted scrutiny due to Gibbs' use of the phrase "special partnership" in favor of the traditional "special relationship", which some analysts and officials took as an indication that Obama will approach relations with the U.K. in a more businesslike, less personal way.
U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
became the first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an leader to meet with Obama on March 3, 2009, and he addressed a joint session of Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
the following day. During his visit to the Obama White House, he presented the president a gift of a pen holder carved from the timbers of HMS Gannet
HMS Gannet
Nine ships and two shore establishments of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS Gannet, after the seabird the Gannet:-Ships: was a 16-gun brig-sloop purchased in 1800 and sold in 1814. was an 18-gun Cruizer-class brig-sloop launched in 1814 and sold in 1838. was a wood screw sloop launched in...
, which served anti-slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
missions off the coast of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. Obama's gift to the prime minister was a box of 25 DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
s with movies including Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and E.T.
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
On March 1, 2009, Brown addressed the topic of joint Anglo-American leadership to combat the recession in a column for The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
. In the column, he said that he and Obama would discuss "a global new deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
" that would encourage unified action by various national governments to fight off the effects of the economic crisis, including international cooperation to institute standard regulation and reform of problematic industries, such as financial corporations.
The Obamas met personally with Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on April 1, 2009. Such meetings are typically conducted in the process of a state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
, with this meeting being a rare exception.
President Obama frustrated many in Britain by his refusal to enter into the sovereignty dispute in the Falklands on the British side
In May of 2011, as part of a broader visit to Europe, President and Mrs. Obama met with Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Charles, Prince of Wales
Charles, Prince of Wales
Prince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay...
and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and briefly with Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and his new wife, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. The Queen gave a state dinner
State dinner
A state dinner is a dinner or banquet paid by a government and hosted by a head of state in his or her official residence in order to renew and celebrate diplomatic ties between the host country and the country of a foreign head of state or head of government who was issued an invitation. In many...
for President Obama, at which toasts recognizing each other's leadership were given (Obama paused during his toast of the Queen, and the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
" was begun, but he continued speaking during the music until he had finished his statement; the toast was done after it ended). President Obama also met with British Prime Minister David Cameron
David Cameron
David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....
and gave the only address of a sitting U.S. President to both houses of the British Parliament at Westminster.