Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Russia 'tired of West's lectures'
CNN ^ | February 13, 2005

Posted on 02/13/2005 12:54:39 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe

MUNICH, Germany (Reuters) -- Russia is fed up with being lectured by the West on democracy but is willing to discuss the issue frankly at a summit with the United States this month, Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Sunday.

Eight days after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Moscow must show its commitment to "the basics of democracy," Ivanov said Moscow was ready for an open exchange when presidents George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin meet.

"We're ready to discuss any issues with the U.S. side, and not only to give answers but also ask questions," Ivanov told journalists at the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

"Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another. I believe that in recent years democracy in Russia has been developing normally."

He added: "We are prepared to calmly move further in this direction, developing democracy and integrating into the global economic system, but while doing so we prefer to be masters of our own house."

Bush is due to meet Putin on February 24 in the Slovak capital Bratislava. Rice said this month that Russia should show the world it was committed to the rule of law, an independent judiciary and a free press.

(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: bratislava; europeanunion; ivanov; slovakia
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

1 posted on 02/13/2005 12:54:39 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe
"Democracy is not a potato that you can transplant from one kitchen garden to another."

Now there's a profound thought. (?)

2 posted on 02/13/2005 12:57:07 PM PST by Darkwolf377 ("Drowning someone, I wouldn't have a part in that."--Teddy K)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe

To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.


3 posted on 02/13/2005 12:57:15 PM PST by popdonnelly
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Darkwolf377
Now there's a profound thought.

From folks who starved millions of their own citizens, no less.

4 posted on 02/13/2005 12:58:34 PM PST by Tijeras_Slim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe

Ivanov directed his harshest comments towards the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)

Pull out of the OSCE if you don't like it.

Now they know how we feel about the UN.

5 posted on 02/13/2005 1:01:22 PM PST by ml1954
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe
Russia 'tired of West's lectures'

Agreed. It is so much easier to have the KGB poison one of these "pro-democracy" upstarts with Dioxin anyway.


6 posted on 02/13/2005 1:02:33 PM PST by SkyPilot
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly
"To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia."

I agree. Maybe it's because we can. I personally think we're bullying Russia. They're on the way to democracy, but they make mistakes. We jump on them like they're Serbs raping Muslim Albanians. And we give a pass to the non-democratic regions of the world.

7 posted on 02/13/2005 1:03:26 PM PST by Ciexyz (I use the term Blue Cities, not Blue States. PA is red except for Philly, Pgh & Erie)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly
"To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists."

Maybe it's because Russia acted against us in the lead up to the war in Iraq and did things that contributed to American deaths. They will also sell weapons to our enemies and potential enemies. You don't think selling weapons to Syria, Iran, etc. aides Islamic terrorist who could use them against us in the near future?

The Russians are ignorant. They are selling weapons that could very easily be used against them soon.
8 posted on 02/13/2005 1:05:57 PM PST by ThermoNuclearWarrior (PRESSURE BUSH TO CLOSE THE BORDERS!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Ciexyz

"They're on the way to democracy, but they make mistakes."

The Russians, even without the Soviet state in evidence, is one of the two big boys in the nuclear war neighborhood. Sure, they may make mistakes, but they get special treatment due to the potential consequences of democratic failure.

"And we give a pass to the non-democratic regions of the world."

The way Putin's been acting, they seem to be re-joining the "non-democratic regions of the world".


9 posted on 02/13/2005 1:23:52 PM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe; Yehuda; TapTheSource
Pinging...

The Russian Federation is allying with the terrorists of the world--not only selling weapons for economic reasons.

From an older post:
"Russian FM To Israel: Chechnya No, Palestine and Iranian Nukes Yes"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1210302/posts
Lavrov said the international community considers the West Bank and Gaza as occupied territory, but concerning Chechnya, the Russian Foreign Minister wondered aloud, "How can one be an occupier in his own country? Chechnya is part of Russia."

As we've seen with a diversion propaganda campaign here, our President sees (or will see) that the Russian leaders will do nothing more than attempt to change the topic of discussion and point their fingers back at us on unrelated matters.

I hope that our Admistration strategists will make the opposition agree on the topic matter for the discussion and refuse to deviate from the topic.
10 posted on 02/13/2005 1:30:31 PM PST by familyop ("If you disrespect women you are not allowed to wear a mohawk" (Feminist Creed).)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SkyPilot

How's the good President these days? They said he'd recover. Damn, he sure looked awful there.


11 posted on 02/13/2005 1:30:55 PM PST by Rate_Determining_Step (US Military - Draining the Swamp of Terrorism since 2001!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly
To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.

The great geopoliticall chess play continues as usual. Russia is the most dangerous opponent having a great strategic advantage: much more territory, more resources, esp. oil, global warming can only benefit them, etc, etc. They are still the only player who can actually destroy America. They are not friends of America and not to be underestimated in any case

12 posted on 02/13/2005 1:30:59 PM PST by eclectic (Liberalism is a mental disorder)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe
Russia is fed up with being lectured by the West

Welcome to the party, pal.

13 posted on 02/13/2005 1:31:58 PM PST by Dan from Michigan (Republican Party Reptile)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe

I believe that's the "Donald" doing the pointing. May be that
the gentleman needs to pay more attention.


14 posted on 02/13/2005 2:02:48 PM PST by printhead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe

I don't blame them for being fed up with it. Of course, the way to avoid it is to straighten up.


15 posted on 02/13/2005 3:07:18 PM PST by Brilliant
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe

We're tired of their weapons sales to terrorist states.


16 posted on 02/13/2005 3:35:09 PM PST by thoughtomator (Call (600) 202 - 0206 - the telephone number of the beast)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: popdonnelly
To tell you the truth, I don't know why we keep beating up on Russia. Russia is much less of a threat than the Islamists. The Cold War is over. Give it a rest.

And the main thing they get beat up over is that they actually fight the terrorists in Chechnya.

Damn them!

BTW did you notice that one of the people arrested attempting to attack a polling station in Iraq was Chechnyian?
17 posted on 02/13/2005 3:43:57 PM PST by self_evident
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator
We're tired of their weapons sales to terrorist states.

*cough* Saudi Arabia, Egypt *cough*
18 posted on 02/13/2005 3:48:12 PM PST by self_evident
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: self_evident

The governments of those states are not supplying weapons to terrorists (as far as we know, anyway). It is plain and obvious that Russian clients - specifically Syria and Iran - are open sponsors of terrorists.


19 posted on 02/13/2005 3:52:22 PM PST by thoughtomator (Call (600) 202 - 0206 - the telephone number of the beast)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Tailgunner Joe
They had so much so wrong for so long, OF COURSE we're gonna lecture them!!! What do they expect? It's like the class dunce standing up and announcing, "Okay, okay, I've got it!" But does he really have it, or is he just saying he has it?

The teacher will watch the dunce like a hawk no matter what the dunce says, and rightfully so!

20 posted on 02/13/2005 4:03:04 PM PST by LibWhacker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-65 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson