Shall we say... hippocryte?
Thursday, May 4, 2006; 9:08 AM
VILNIUS, Lithuania -- Vice President Dick Cheney, in remarks that caused a stir in neighboring Russia, accused President Vladimir Putin Thursday of restricting the rights of citizens and said that "no legitimate interest is served" by turning energy resources into implements of blackmail.
"In Russia today, opponents of reform are seeking to reverse the gains of the last decade," Cheney told a conference of Eastern European leaders whose countries once lived under Soviet oppression, and now in Russia's shadow.
  U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, left, sits during a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, unseen, in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, May 4, 2006. Cheney and the presidents of eight former communist bloc countries arrived in the Lithuanian capital Wednesday for a conference on the future of the Baltic and Black sea regions. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) (Mindaugas Kulbis - AP) |
Cheney's speech blended praise for the progress Eastern European countries have made toward democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, with an exhortation to continue on the same path.
"The democratic unity of Europe ensures the peace of Europe," he said.
He said Russia has a choice to make when it comes to reform, and said that in many areas, "from religion and the news media to advocacy groups and political parties, the government has unfairly and improperly restricted the rights of the people."
Other actions "have been counterproductive and could begin to affect relations with other countries," Cheney said, mentioning energy and border issues.
"No legitimate interest is served when oil and gas become tools of intimidation or blackmail, either by supply manipulation or attempts to monopolize transportation," he said.
"And no one can justify actions that undermine the territorial integrity of a neighbor, or interfere with democratic movements."
It was among the strongest remarks that any U.S. official has made publicly about Putin's leadership style. The Bush administration for the most part has tried to play down, at least publicly, any strong differences with Putin.
Andrei Kokoshin, chairman of a Russian State Duma committee, said he believes Cheney's remarks at the Vilnius forum are subjective and do not reflect the real situation in the former Soviet republics.
Cheney's remarks "hardly corresponds to many realities of the political processes that we see on the post-Soviet territory today," he said.
"The United States has to deal with an absolutely different Russia today - a Russia that has restored its real sovereignty in many areas and is pursuing a course on the world arena that meets mainly its own national interests," Kokoshin added.
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