Moscow: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev
told Mitt Romney on Tuesday to use his head and stop reverting to
Hollywood stereotypes after the US presidential hopeful
branded Moscow as Washington`s top foe.
"I recommend that all US presidential candidates,
including the candidate you mention (Romney), do at least two
things," Medvedev told Russian reporters on the sidelines of a
nuclear security conference in Seoul.
"That they use their head and consult their reason when
they formulate their positions, and that they check the time
-- it is now 2012, not the mid-1970s," said the outgoing
Russian president in comments broadcast on state television.
Medvedev said Romney`s quip "smelled of Hollywood"
because it typecast Moscow as Washington`s main enemy from the
Cold War era just like in the popular spy movie thrillers of
the time.
"As for ideological cliches, I always get nervous when
one side or the other starts using phrases such as `enemy
number one` and so on," Medvedev said.
Romney had roundly criticised Obama yesterday for getting
caught by an open mike making a controversial promise to
Medvedev about missile defence.
Obama appeared to suggest at the Seoul meeting that he
was ready to make a concession on the issue if he wins the
November presidential election.
Romney told CNN in a transcript released by the station
that Obama should understand that "Russia is not a friendly
character on the world stage" because it has old ties to the
governments of Syria and Iran.
Russia "is without question our number one geopolitical
foe," Romney said.
It is unusual for world leaders to get involved in a
foreign state`s elections and the foreign ministry quickly
moved to make light of Romney`s "emotional statement."
Romney`s biting quip was dictated "by the particular
demands of political battle," ministry spokesman Alexander
Lukashevich said.
But the comment quickly became the number one topic on
Russian news sites and the subject of angry whispers in the
Kremlin-controlled State Duma lower house of parliament.
PTI
