TURNAROUND

Russia: Time for Gaddafi to Go

Policy shift away from supporting Libyan dictator.

Even Russia has turned on Gaddafi: Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Friday he would intervene in talks with Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi and try to convince the dictator to leave. Medvedev had previously spoken against the NATO airstrikes in Libya—his change of heart comes one day after a 90-minute bilateral meeting with President Obama. By agreeing to talk to Gaddafi, Medvedev is taking a gamble: If Gaddafi agrees to leave, Medvedev would win respect internationally, but if Medvedev fails, he could find it difficult to distance himself from the NATO airstrikes—which are unpopular in Russia. Russia’s special envoy for the Middle East, Mikhail Margelov, has suggested that Qatar or Saudi Arabia may possibly offer Gaddafi asylum, and said “we do have people in Gaddafi’s camp.”