President Obama met with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir this week, calling for a new relationship with the former Cold War foe, and urging Russian leaders to work together to combat mutual threats. Russia is the first leg of President's Obama week-long international tour, where he'll also be traveling to Italy for the G8 summit and Ghana (for a complete schedule of Obama's visits please see below).
Obama and Medvedev announced Monday they would agree in principle to reduce American and Russian nuclear arsenals, a contentious issue between the two super powers. Obama emphasized that the two countries can "shed past suspicions" and become partners on many global interests, reported The Washington Post.
"There is the 20th-century view that the United States and Russia are destined to be antagonists, and that a strong Russia or a strong America can only assert themselves in opposition to one another," Obama said. "And there is a 19th-century view that we are destined to vie for spheres of influence, and that great powers must forge competing blocs to balance one another. These assumptions are wrong."
In addition to meeting Russian leaders, Obama gave a graduation ceremony speech at the New Economic School, a graduate school established in 1992 by Russian economists in partnership with the West. Obama told students the U.S. was committed to "universal values" and underscored the importance of free speech, an independent media and competitive elections, according to The Post.
"Competitive elections allow us to change course and hold our leaders accountable. If our democracy did not advance those rights, I -- as a person of African ancestry -- wouldn't be able to address you as an American citizen, much less a president," he said.
Tuesday morning Obama sat down with Putin for breakfast at Putin's dacha outside Moscow. Officials say the morning meeting ran longer than the scheduled 90 minutes. (see video)
Before leaving Russia Wednesday morning, Obama will take part in business and social summits, and speak with Russian opposition leaders, former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and former world chess champion Gary Kasparov.
Michelle, Sasha, Malia, and Michelle's Mother will accompany the President on the trip as he meets with world leaders.
Expectations are high for the tour. Iran is anticipated to top the agenda both in Russia and at the G8 summit in Italy, in particular the nuclear question, according to foreign political aide Denis McDonough and AFP.
The foreign ministers of the G8 states have already released a joint statement condemning the "deplorable" violence that followed the Iranian elections in June, according to the BBC.
In Italy, Obama has come under intense scrutiny and criticism by Catholic bishops for his support of abortion rights. Yet, the Vatican's daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, gave Obama a positive review after his first 100 days in office. Administration officials have confirmed that Michelle Obama will accompany her husband at the Vatican on Thursday, July 10 before leaving Italy.
Prior to his papal vist, Obama will attend the G-8 summit meeting in the earthquake-stricken city of L'Aquila. The Guardian, quoting senior western officials, reports that G-8 member states are calling for Italy's removal from the group because of the summit's disorganization and chaos.
"For another country to organise the sherpa calls is just unprecedented. It's a nuclear option," said one senior G8 member state official. "The Italians have been just awful. There have been no processes and no planning."
"The G8 is a club, and clubs have membership dues. Italy has not been paying them," said a European official involved in the summit preparations.
The summit planning duties has fallen into the lap of the U.S., and Washington has organized "sherpa calls" (conference calls among senior officials) in a last-ditch bid to inject purpose into the meeting, reports The Guardian.
In an editorial published in The New York Times, Nicolas Sarkozy, president of France, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, write that the economic crisis has highlighted the fragility of the multilateral system, and now is the "to build a more just, developed and sustainable world." The G-8 summit is the time, they say, to "promote this vision of a more democratic world order."
It is now time to prioritize the social dimension of globalization. Worldwide, workers facing the economic storm are asking for more justice and greater security. Their voices must be heard. The social impact of the current crisis should be specifically addressed by international organizations. The role of the ILO in global economic governance should be greatly strengthened in this regard.
The structure for peace and collective security also requires significant adaptations. A wide-ranging reform of the U.N. Security Council must be implemented, with a view to safeguarding a more balanced and inclusive international order. To ensure the effectiveness of the Council, it must reflect current realities, including a greater role for major developing countries in all regions, such as Brazil and India, fairer representation of Africa and of major contributors to the U.N. system, such as Japan and Germany.
Obama's decision to visit Ghana, albeit for a whistlestop tour, indicates to some Ghanaians that the country is being recognized as politically stable with the potential for further development.
Ghanaians are hoping for a closer partnership with the US, but the Ghanaian Journal believes they should not be dazzled by the Obamas and lose sight of the best interests of Ghana throughout Obama's meetings with the Ghanaian parliament. Here is the schedule for President Obama's trip:
Sunday July 5: Barack and Michelle leave Washington for Moscow on Air Force One, arriving the following morning
Monday July 6: Private talks between Obama and Medvedev followed by press conference. The Obamas will dine with the Medvedevs on Monday evening.
Tuesday July 7: Obama breakfasts with Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin - conversation could focus on energy issues, according to his aides. Obama will also meet with the ex-Soviet leader Mikhil Gorbachev and present a speech on US-Russian relations.
Wednesday July 8: Obama leaves Moscow for Rome and on to the earthquake-struck town of L'Aquila for the G8 summit. Obama will also meet with Chinese president Hu Jintao alongside the summit meetings.
Friday July 10: Obama press conference before heading to Rome for an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. The Obamas will then head to Ghana.
Saturday July 11: Obama will meet with and address the parliament of Ghana on the issues of development and democracy. Afterwards, the First Couple will tour the historic Cape Coast Castle, used in the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Afterwards, the Obamas will leave Ghana for Washington.
President Obama will be discussing his plans and preparations for the tour later this afternoon, and HuffPost World will be providing all the updates.