US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) speaks in Bratislava 24 February 2005. Europe is realizing Bush's 'vision' might work and should stop demanding from the US 'a high price for its political favors'(AFP/Joe Klamar)
Posted on 02/25/2005 9:19:17 AM PST by NormsRevenge
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin gave a glowing assessment Friday of his meeting with U.S. President George W. Bush, calling it very positive and saying it set an agenda for cooperation in the coming years.
"We are satisfied with the talks and their results. I have the feeling that our American partners would have the same assessment," Putin said at a news conference with Slovakia's president a day after his summit with Bush. "The meeting went in a very positive way, in its character and in the chosen themes."
Putin said he spoke to Bush for at least an hour in what he called a "very useful, very substantive discussion" focusing on Russian-American relations.
Putin made no specific mention of Bush's expression of concern about his commitment to democracy. But in a joint news conference Thursday, Putin said that Russian chose democracy 14 years ago, and "there can be no return to what we used to have before."
Bush said Thursday that he told Putin: "Strong countries are built by developing strong democracies."
Bush added: "I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear."
The two leaders talked for 2 1/2 hours in hopes of easing mounting distrust between Moscow and Washington.
Bush challenged Putin about his government's behavior, saying democracies reflect a country's customs and culture but must have "a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition." He said he talked with Putin about his "concerns about Russia's commitment in fulfilling these universal principles" and about Putin's restrictions on the press.
"I'm not the minister of propaganda," Putin said.
They also confronted differences over Moscow's arms sales to Syria and Russia's help for Iran's nuclear program. While Bush tried to keep a smile on his face throughout the session with reporters, Putin seemed tense.
It was their first meeting since Bush opened his second term promising to spread democracy and freedom and asserting that relations with all leaders would be predicated on how they treat their people.
Putin compared his move to end direct popular election of regional governors to the American process of electing presidents through the Electoral College rather than by the results of the popular vote. "And it's not considered undemocratic, is it?" Putin said.
He suggested that Russians who oppose his actions, such as a campaign against the Yukos oil company and his shutdown of independent media outlets, can sway public opinion because they "are richer than those who are in favor."
"We often do not pay the attention to that," Putin said.
Bush was challenged by a Russian journalist who asked about "violations of the rights of journalists in the United States" without giving specifics.
"People do get fired in American press," the president said, adding that they get fired by editors or producers or others - not by government.
But while saying that a free press is the sign of a healthy society, Bush added: "Obviously there has got to be constraints. There's got to be truth."
On Friday, Putin said that he and Bush paid a lot of attention to economic and international security issues, as well as topics such as cooperation in energy and in space exploration.
Putin said the talks touched on all major international issues, including Iraq, Iran, the Middle East and North Korea's nuclear program.
"I must say that on practically all questions we have very close positions," he said, adding that the two agreed on cooperation to strengthen the security of nuclear materials and installations, and to "intensify our work in the anti-terrorist direction."
"I highly value the results" of the one-on-one talks, said Putin, adding that in his view he and Bush assessed their cooperation over the past four years and "determined an agenda for the coming three-four years" that they have left in office.
The statement Friday came at the end of his news conference with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic, his last event before leaving Slovakia, and was clearly aimed at casting the meeting with Bush in a positive light.
Thank you President Bush!
President Bush is a rock. And thank God for it.
Imagine John Kerry having this discussion with Mr. Putin? Ugh.
The Dems will really begin to echo Putin's rather limited grasp of the electoral college and its purpose. To compare the electoral college -- by which each State's popular vote does, in fact, elect the president in the end -- with a dictatorial appointing of representatives to the Duma is preposterous. Yet Libs will be using this same example. Sadly, since the public school system doesn't effectively teach "civics" anymore, millions of American's are too ignorant and uninformed to know the difference.
Meanwhile, is Russia still sending weapons to Syria and continuing to build nuclear material for Iran? I can see how Putin would say it was a positive meeting since Bush isn't too good a judge of looking one in the eyes.
The Dems will do whatever is expedient with regard to the electoral college. Had they carried Ohio, they would have carried the electoral vote but lost the popular vote by several million. That's why their comments on the electoral college this time around were relatively muted.
Longer term, of course, their purposes would be best served by doing away with the electoral college, because populous welfare pits vote their way. The Framers were very wise to balance popular and regional interests with the Electoral College.
US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) speaks in Bratislava 24 February 2005. Europe is realizing Bush's 'vision' might work and should stop demanding from the US 'a high price for its political favors'(AFP/Joe Klamar)
"Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov sent to Ms Rice a compilation of recent Russian TV broadcasts and newspapers with a note to review them ASAP and convince herself about freedom of speech in the Russia... State Secretary replyed that she is kinda very busy now... She will review them later..."
In other words: President Bush gets the job done. PERIOD.
Just think about it: Kremlin autocrats appeal to the White House as the highest democracy court on this planet!
BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday he was satisfied with the results of a summit in the Slovak capital with President Bush despite a clash over Moscow's democratic credentials. "I am satisfied with the meeting and with the results of the meeting," Putin told a news conference following talks with his Slovak counterpart, Ivan Gasparovic.
On Thursday, Bush warned Putin in a face-to-face meeting against backsliding on democracy in Russia in what both sides called a frank debate at the Bratislava summit.
But Bush also assured the Russian president he was still a trusted partner of the United States and Putin said his country would not go back on the democratic path it embarked upon when the Soviet Union collapsed 14 years ago.
Putin said his frank discussion with Bush was useful although he made clear Russia did not accept being lectured by the West on how to run its affairs.
"The meeting was very positive both in terms of its atmosphere and the choice of topics," Putin added.
Western and Russian civil rights campaigners accuse Putin of restricting democracy by abolishing the election of provincial governors, pursuing a vendetta against the Yukos oil company and tightening the Kremlin's grip on the media.
They also fear he is trying to stifle democratic changes across the ex-Soviet bloc, with Russian reluctance to accept free elections in Ukraine often cited as the latest example.
In addition, its crackdown on separatists in Chechnya has drawn Western criticism, and the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday that Russia committed serious abuses, including the torture and killing of civilians in its southern province.
prayers for the russian people and those in the former soviet union.
"Imagine John Kerry having this discussion with Mr. Putin?"
Oh Dear Lord. I'm having sudden images of Kerry sticking his finger almost into his nose and looking into the distance, thinking lofty, nuanced thoughts. ;)
Wow, lawgirl, you have got an amazing profile page!
(p.s., I'm a (not working) lawyer and (hopeful) screenplay writer too!)
It's only been, oh, three years. I started with a novel, then decided that writing a screenplay would help me tighten up the novel, and now ... there is a lot of work to do. ;)
but I digress.
Sorry, all, for careening away from the thread topic. :)
In all seriousness, I had so much hope for Russia. I hope GW was able to talk some sense into Putin.
And it was very crafty of Putin to bring up the electoral college and claim that changes that he made (on his own, I guess) are equivalent to those in the Constitution). Sorry, Vladimir, one man does not the founding fathers make. ;)
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