U.S. Lauds Pragmatism Of Putin (2024)

By Sharon LaFraniere
Washington Post Foreign Service
Thursday, February 3, 2000; Page A01 MOSCOW, Feb. 2—Acting President Vladimir Putin called the United States "our main partner" in many areas and voiced support for pro-market economic reforms in a meeting today with Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright that American officials welcomed as a sign that they could work with the new Russian leader.

U.S. officials emerged from the meeting saying that Putin had shown flexibility regarding U.S. plans to develop a missile defense system, one of the most contentious issues between the two countries. Putin "didn't say no, he left doors open" to discussing changes in the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty to allow such a system, a senior State Department official said.

However, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov told the Interfax news agency that Russia still views major changes in the treaty as unnecessary. The U.S. official acknowledged that Putin wants to protect the treaty's "fundamental principles."

In his first meeting with a high-ranking U.S. delegation since taking over from Boris Yeltsin, who resigned unexpectedly on Dec. 31, Putin came across as Western-oriented, pragmatic and much better informed than his predecessor American officials said. "I was impressed with a kind of can-do approach," said Albright, who said Putin tossed aside his cue cards and extended the scheduled one-hour meeting for nearly two more hours.

But Putin was adamant about continuing Russia's war against rebels in the separatist region of Chechnya. The United States is trying to push Russia toward a political settlement of the brutal five-month-old conflict, but Albright conceded, "I don't think we are any closer."

She also cautioned against assessing Putin too soon. While his words were encouraging, "what is important now is to watch what he does," she said.

Both Putin and Albright noted the decline in U.S.-Russia relations over the past two years, especially during last year's U.S.-led NATO bombardment of Yugoslavia, Russia's traditional ally.

Putin, greeting Albright in an ornate Kremlin hall, said Russia and the United States had survived "some difficult and complicated moments" in the past two years. "In recent times we have been experiencing certain pressure from the side of the U.S. administration on the subject of events in the northern Caucasus [where Chechnya is located]. But there is a global character to our relations. We see the United States as our main partner in a whole number of directions."

Ivanov, known on occasion for anti-Western rhetoric, also told reporters that Russia does not want "any cooling down" or setbacks in its relationship with the United States.

Albright said in a speech earlier in the day, "We are going through kind of strange period in U.S.-Russia relations, but I hope very much we will get through it."

The United States and Russia are currently sparring over a Clinton administration proposal to modify the ABM treaty, which was aimed at stabilizing the arms race by barring development of systems to protect against long-range missile attack. The United States contends it needs to construct a defense system to protect itself against so-called rogue countries such as North Korea. The Russians contend the United States is threatening to start a new arms race.

Only yesterday, Putin said the ABM treaty was in danger of destruction. But in today's meeting, he agreed to explore the issue of limited amendments, according to the high-ranking State Department official, who was present and spoke afterward on condition of anonymity.

"I'm not saying they'd agree" to changing the treaty, but Putin "was talking like this was a discussion that we could start having more seriously," the official said.

Putin did not adopt "a dogmatic position that the ABM treaty is unamendable, but rather made a general point that the approach we are decribing is one they could work with, provided that the fundamental principles of the ABM treaty are protected," the official added.

Putin promised Albright he will push for ratification of the 1993 START II treaty, which would cut long-range nuclear arsenals, saying that the newly elected lower house of the Russian parliament might be more willing than its predecessors to approve it. Albright said Putin also brought up the possibility of even deeper cuts, supported by the Kremlin, mainly because Russia is too poor to maintain its nuclear arsenal.

On economic issues, Putin "really said the right things," according to the State Department official. He told Albright he wants to reform Russia's porous tax code, protect investors who face the constant risk of getting wiped out by of corrupt business deals, and in general institute the rule of law in a country that is increasingly lawless.

Albright, who has accused Russia of inflicting misery on Chechen civilians, told Putin he was "riding a tiger" in the rebellious region and risking diplomatic isolation. But she told reporters that she made no headway. "To them, what they are doing in Chechnya is essential to the future of Russia," she said.

Albright's 2 1/2-day visit came as the Russians drove a large number of rebels out of the Chechen capital of Grozny, now in ruins from months of bombardment. Some military analysts here say the Grozny success gives Putin an ideal opportunity to declare victory and avoid a more protracted war in Chechnya's mountainous south. But Russian defense officials say any negotiations with Chechen warlords would be pointless. Ivanov said the Russian government is open to negotiations, but only with law-abiding Chechens.

Albright said Putin was receptive to the idea of sending a humanitarian team into the embattled region to assess its many needs. She also pressed him repeatedly to allow journalists more access to Chechnya.

The Russian government has controlled coverage of the war by refusing to give many reporters permission to travel in Chechnya. A number of journalists have been detained by the Russian military, including a reporter for U.S.-financed Radio Liberty, who has been held for two weeks. Andrei Babitsky is to be released in the near future, Radio Liberty director Jeff Trimble said.