“Trust, but verify” – “doveryai, no proveryai” or “Доверяй, но проверяй” – was President Ronald Reagan’s catchphrase in pressing Soviet leaders for weapons inspections. Now nearly a quarter-century later, trust between the US and Russia is in short supply as President Obama and Russian President Medvedev were unable to show progress on missile defense. Tension levels were already edging higher after the U.S. State Department raised concerns over a Moscow appeals court’s decision to uphold a guilty verdict for former Yukos CEO Mikhail Khodorkovsky on a second round of politically motivated charges, spurring capital flight from Russia amid investors fear that Prime Minister Putin will elbow Medvedev from power.
Pavel Ivlev, CREF’s chairman remarked,
The US and the Western world shall not forget what President Reagan said. “Trust, but verify” is very much applicable to Medvedev today, who is known of saying right words, but very weak on delivery.
