Russia Rejects U.S. Criticism; EU Joins Fray

[russian33]

ASTANA, Kazakhstan (Reuters) - Russia curtly told the United States to stay out of its business Wednesday after U.S. criticism, echoed by the European Union (news - web sites), of President Vladimir Putin (news - web sites)'s plans for radical change that will boost Kremlin power.

<snip>

But Russia's foreign minister, speaking in Kazakhstan on the sidelines of a meeting of ex-Soviet states to be addressed by Putin, said Washington had no right to impose its model of democracy on others.

"First of all, the processes that are under way in Russia are our internal affair," Sergei Lavrov said.

"And it is at least strange that, while talking about a certain 'pulling back', as he (Powell) put it, on some of the democratic reforms in the Russian Federation, he tried to assert yet one more time the thought that democracy can only be copied from someone's model," Lavrov said.

"We, for our part, do not comment on the U.S. system of presidential elections, for instance." The United States itself had been forced to take tough and controversial security steps after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on U.S. targets, he said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=586&e=1&u=/nm/20040915/wl_nm/russia_usa_dc

[jarab]

1. A strong condemnation of the patriot act. eom

...O...

[ugarte]

2. Obviously Putin is pro-Putin, but what is his political ideology?

What will Russia look like under ten, twenty years of Putin?

[priller]

5. A very strong authoritarian regime, if not dictatorship

Putin has already gotten rid of nearly all elected officials. The Duma will now be appointed "party members". Sound familiar?

[rpannier]

3. I live in Asia

about 300 miles from Russia. Putin is power-hungry fascist. Like the scrub he is using a tragedy to enhance his political power.

[NNN0LHI]

4. I thought Reagan won the Cold War? Whats up?

Wonder what the Russians did with all those nuclear tipped ICBMs? Oh, thats right. They are all still aimed at the USA.

Don