Posted on 02/23/2005 2:01:28 AM PST by JohnHuang2
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Russia will not back down on its democratic record or on its dealings with Syria and Iran when President Vladimir Putin meets President Bush at a summit tomorrow, Russian Ambassador Yuri Ushakov said in an interview. The Russian diplomat said the meeting in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava should produce concrete results, but that any attempt to "corner" Russia over political liberties and press freedoms would be "counterproductive and doomed to failure." "Frankly, I regret that Russia time and again has become the target of harsh criticism for the so-called 'retreat' from democracy," Mr. Ushakov said. "Due to interpretations by [the] U.S. media and think-tank community of events in Russia, the whole environment before Bratislava does not seem favorable. ...
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
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