White House strategists warn reporters not to expect breakthroughs in Vienna
White House strategists are a bit concerned that expectations may be too high for President Bush's visit to a European Union meeting in Vienna Wednesday.
The strategists say Bush won't be meeting with many heads of state or heads of government but will mostly talk with senior foreign ministers. And the strategists warn reporters not to expect any policy breakthroughs.
Bush is making the trip primarily to show Europeans that he wants to work with them on a variety of issues, ranging from limiting Iran's nuclear program to promoting free trade and getting pledges of financial and other support for the new government in Iraq. But he also wants to show sensitivity to European criticism of the methods used by the United States in dealing with detainees at Guantánamo Bay, according to White House aides. Overall, Bush wants to demonstrate that he isn't the stubborn unilateralist that many people on the Continent think he is.
The real heavy lifting is expected in mid-July when Bush is scheduled to attend the Group of Eight economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia. Sparks may fly as Bush tries to do a balancing act–attempting to work with Russian President Vladimir Putin on areas of mutual concern, such as terrorism, while at the same time pressuring Putin to change his authoritarian methods.