Rice Bashes Putin’s Growing Power

During last Friday’s meeting, Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traded policy criticisms instead of conducting productive talks.

In apparent retaliation for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Friday comments challenging the United States’ planned European missile defense system, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticized Putin’s apparent centralization of power.

Putin, of course, is concerned about US plans to install a new radar system in the Czech Republic, and missles in Poland. The Kremlin views this plan as a potential threat and has offered several alternatives that have been rejected by the US government. On Friday, at the start of meetings with Rice and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Putin publicly criticized Bush administration policies.

Rice was later quoted as saying, "I think there is too much concentration of power in the Kremlin ... Everybody has doubts about the full independence of the judiciary. There are clearly questions about the independence of the electronic media and there are, I think, questions about the strength of the Duma,"

Putin may indeed be centralizing power in Moscow, but Rice’s comments do nothing to help the situation. The US should stop trying to make every country in the world adopt a perfect democratic system. If the Russian people have a problem with Putin’s tactics, let them deal with it on their own.

The Russian populace will most likely do nothing, as Putin’s popularity ratings are presently sky-high. During his two terms as President, Putin has brought Russia back to the brink of becoming a world power.

After December elections, chances are Putin will become Russia’s next Prime Minister and maintain his hold on power. Perhaps the Bush administration would be best served to create an environment of at least cordial relations with Russia instead of being an antagonist.

Do you think that Rice was correct in making these public comments?