Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi on Wednesday denounced the structure of the U.N. Security Council, criticizing the permanent seats and veto power granted to a limited number of nations. Speaking at the U.N. General Assembly's annual debate session, Gadhafi called for world unity in confronting global crises such as climate change and food shortages. But he elaborated on what he believes is the unfairness of the structure of the Security Council, which has five permanent members -- the United States, ...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says those who question whether he has power in his country are going by "stereotypes" and "stigmas." "In our country, where there's so much red tape, nobody would even lift a finger without me signing a paper first, even if they have different opinions about who's in charge," Medvedev told CNN's "Fareed Zakaria GPS" in an exclusive interview airing Sunday. "That's an absolutely clear thing for anyone who wants to sort out this issue." The president ...

Russia, the United States and NATO should consider linking their missile defense systems in Europe, the NATO chief said Friday. "Both NATO and Russia have a wealth of experience in missile defense," Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. "We should now work to combine this experience to our mutual benefit." Rasmussen made the suggestion in his first major speech as NATO's new secretary-general. His speech centered on ways the alliance could strengthen its relationship with Russia. "I believe that of ...

The decision by the United States to drop its plans to base an anti-ballistic missile defense system in Poland and the Czech Republic will have reverberations across Europe. What will be seen as a totemic move by the Obama administration following its major defense review will precipitate head-scratching huddles, not just in Poland and the Czech Republic where politicians exposed themselves with their willingness to go along with domestically unpopular U.S. plans, but in the Kremlin and in NATO headquarters ...

A strong Russia is good for the United States, U.S. President Barack Obama said in a speech in Moscow, which he is visiting in an effort to "reset" the countries' relations. Addressing an audience including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and graduates at a Moscow business school, Obama said Washington wanted to work in partnership with a "strong, peaceful and prosperous Russia." "This belief is rooted in our respect for the Russian people, and a shared history between our nations ...

On the eve of a two-day summit with U.S. President Obama, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says both countries are "moderately optimistic" about "resetting" their relations. In an interview with Italian media RAI and Corriere della Sera, Medvedev said relations "have begun to revive" after a period of significant deterioration during the administration of President George W. Bush. The top issue on the agenda for the two leaders, Medvedev said, is working out a new treaty on limiting strategic offensive nuclear ...

A helicopter believed to have 16 people aboard ditched Wednesday in the North Sea, 35 miles off the northeastern coast of Scotland, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said. The announcement came after Obama and Medvedev met in London ahead of Thursday's G-20 summit. The statement said the two leaders agreed that the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms -- which expires in December -- "has completely fulfilled its intended purpose and that the ...

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he is ready to work with U.S. President Barack Obama to overcome a recent low point in U.S.-Russian relations. The Russian leader, writing an op-ed in The Washington Post ahead of Thursday's G-20 summit in London, said he and Obama have exchanged letters this year that "showed mutual readiness to build mature bilateral relations in a pragmatic and business-like manner." Medvedev cited a number of possible areas of cooperation between the two countries, starting with ...

Whispers of a split between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his handpicked successor, President Dmitri Medvedev, have grown louder over the past few weeks. The economic crisis is putting pressure on the ruling duo to show they're on top of things. It may also be exacerbating their differences. The latest and strongest signal of potential trouble, according to Kremlin watchers, was the Kremlin's February announcement that it was establishing an advisory group of professional managers to help the government ...