Posted on 12/20/2004 8:32:08 PM PST by jb6
US President George W Bush has reiterated his desire to develop a stronger relationship with Russia. He is expected to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Slovakia in February.
Mr Bush said the two men had some disagreements but said it was a vital relationship and they were working together to defeat terrorism.
Meawhile, the US democracy-monitoring group Freedom House said Russia had fallen to the status of "not free".
Washington has previously expressed concerns about Russia's role in the Ukrainian election, the Yukos affair and Putin's political reforms.
Russia's step backward into the Not Free category is the culmination of a growing trend under President Vladimir Putin to concentrate political authority
Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House But Mr Bush told a news conference in Washington: "As you know, Vladimir Putin and I have got a good personal relationship. I intend to keep it that way.
"Obviously we have some disagreements. But this is a vital and important relationship."
Mr Bush also touched upon Iraq, saying that the election due next month was the beginning of a process that would lead to freedom.
He acknowledged that the training of Iraqi security forces had had mixed success, but said he was confident that terrorists would not disrupt the democratic process.
Worrying trend
As Mr Bush made his statement, Freedom House lowered Russia to the status of "not free" in its own classification.
This puts Russia far behind some of other former Soviet republics, such as Ukraine and Georgia.
Freedom House, an independent US-based organisation that tracks the progress of civil freedoms around the world, called Russia's retreat from freedom "the year's most important political trend".
It has never given the country a "not free" status since the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.
"Russia's step backward into the Not Free category is the culmination of a growing trend under President Vladimir Putin to concentrate political authority, harass and intimidate the media, and politicize the country's law-enforcement system," said Freedom House Executive Director Jennifer Windsor.
She said it marked "a dangerous and disturbing drift toward authoritarianism in Russia, made more worrisome by Mr Putin's recent heavy-handed meddling in political developments in neighboring countries, such as Ukraine".
Rice caution
Earlier on Monday, Mr Putin's press secretary Aleksey Gromov said that the two presidents would meet in Slovakia's capital Bratislava on 24 February.
Their last meeting in Chile was described by press as rather cool, as Mr Bush pointed out Russia non-democratic trends to Mr Putin.
The new meeting will take place after Mr Bush's current National Secirity Advisor Condoleezza Rice becomes Secretary of State.
Ms Rice, an expert on Russia, is believed to take a more cautious stance on relations with Moscow.
Oh and I wonder where Freedom House was when Yeltsin was murdering the elected parliment in 94? Oh that's right, that was sanctioned, er ordered by Clinton and his Soros club friends.
Answer: are Italy, England, France free countries? Yet each has appointed governors. Whoops.
You hold up Italy, England and France as examples and have the balls to call me a Euro sympathizer? LOL!
So are you pro Bush and seek stronger ties with Russia or are you a Neocon and still fighting the Cold War? Which is it? The president has stated what his aims are and we know your's don't follow them.
I agree with President Bush that a free society values the balance of powers.
Good walk around and I agree with that too. But you go directly against Bush in your hatred of the nation he wants closer relations with. You work directly to undermine him by working to undermine that relationship. In other words, like it or not, you do damage to him and support to his enemies.
Come on over, you'll like this thread. :0)
"Your either with us or against us" GWB
(Unless you're Russia and you were involved in the Oil for Food scam, you can still be our friend)
(We'll just restart the Cold War in Ukraine to show how closely we're allied)
We've been friends with plenty of dictators. No reason to stop now.
Come on over, you'll like this.
I don't want to undermine our relationship with Russia. How could I do that? Only Russia can do that.
Oh please, let me cry a river. You do that with your poisonous comments. Keep squirming out of the trap you tried to lay on us and that back fired on you. You consistently stand against Bush by trying to drive a wedge between a US-Russian relationship/cooperation. In the end, all you were helping was the Islamics and the EUers.
At least when I admonish others for being against us, the us I refer to is the USA and not Russia like you.
Tell me more about how anyone who opposes Russia's support of the Axis of Evil is a traitor. Tell me how Russia was fighting for us when they sold Saddam missiles to kill our American boys.
Putin is nothing but a commie spook weasels and he will soon receive his comeuppance.
Is there no other position? The article ends by saying: "Ms Rice, an expert on Russia, is believed to take a more cautious stance on relations with Moscow."
Given the not so distant Soviet past, is Ms. Rice's stance incorrect? Remembering the Cold War is not the same things as "fighting the Cold War".
Yes, there is. Keep your friends close and enemies closer. Russia is American non-friend and non-enemy at the same time. The relationship is comparable to Hollywood flick where the rescue of two suspicious guys depends on their willingness to cooperate.
In this flick, US and Russia have the same real enemy (islamism) and the same potential enemy (Chicoms).
Keep squirming. You got caught in your own two-bit trap and now are twisting in the air. You have been bad mouthing Bush's policies and stances without even realizing it and now that the light of day has shone on your little vampiric work, you're scrambling for cover. Run and hide, there are still a couple of hours of sun light left.
Tell me more about how anyone who opposes Russia's support of the Axis of Evil is a traitor. Tell me how Russia was fighting for us when they sold Saddam missiles to kill our American boys. Ok, how about this: Tell us more how you are shilling for those who oppose America and more precisely Bush's desire for better alliances with Russia in the War on Terror. Now who would benefit most from your shilling ways on this? Hmmmm, ISLAM?
Lets see, you also support outsourcing too. Hmmm. A picture is definitly forming and it's not a good one.
Putin is nothing but a commie spook weasels and he will soon receive his comeuppance.
So you stand directly against Bush who said just today he had a good friendship and working relationship with Putin. The mask is finally off for everyone to see who's side you are on. About time.
Let me give you some hints. I'm not a neocon, I don't support trade with China, and Islam is an evil death cult. I hope this helps you figure out how to successfully assassinate my character.
In the mean time, it's hope for the best and prepare for the worst. I'm with Dr. Rice about taking a cautious stance and keeping the guard up while going along with President Bush about looking for and taking advantage of all opportunities for cooperation and friendship.
What? You mean our very own president is a "Putin apologist"?
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