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Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
NEW YORK -- Russian liberals are sounding alarms over what they
call the heavy-handedness of Washington's war on terrorism. But
for now, little discontent appears to be emanating from the Kremlin,
which instead has stuck to stressing the benefits of a new partnership
with a former Cold War foe that will reshape arms-control rules
and promote Russia's interests abroad.
The development marks a strange twist in Russia's domestic politics.
Traditionally it has been the Kremlin that has been an aggressive
guardian of Russia's status as a world power, while the opposition
liberals have argued for closer ties with the West.
At a meeting of world economic leaders in New York this week,
Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov played down any disagreements
between Moscow and Washington. He insisted the newfound coalition
is running smoothly. "People realize that we have common
values, and that there is room for cooperation," " said
Mr. Kasyanov. Because of Russia's own war with separatists in
Chechnya, Mr. Kasyanov said, "Russia understands better than
any other nation what has happened in America."
Healthy Incentive
The U.S. is promising Russia a host of advantages in return for
its support of the U.S.-led coalition against terror. The Bush
administration said it will scrap the Jackson-Vanik amendment,
a piece of Soviet-era legislation that ties Russia's trade status
to its policy on Jewish emigration. There is also talk of speeding
Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization, and getting
Russia's economy recognized as a free market.
But progress hasn't been all that speedy. The U.S. Congress hasn't
yet moved to repeal the Jackson-Vanik legislation, and the U.S.
may prove powerless to persuade other nations to speed Russia's
entrance into the WTO.
There are rumblings of discontent, meanwhile, over U.S. behavior
on the arms-control front. Despite strong opposition from Russia
, Mr. Bush announced that the U.S. was pulling out of the 1972
Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, the cornerstone pact of the Cold
War. Then, Washington announced that it planned to store -- not
destroy -- some nuclear warheads. Those warheads are part of the
two-thirds of the U.S. nuclear stockpile that President George
W. Bush promised Vladimir Putin in November that he would get
rid of. Mr. Putin had replied that Russia would respond with similar
cuts.
The decision to store rather than destroy the warheads is riling
even the most liberal of Russian politicians. "That means
that Russia is the enemy," liberal leader Grigory Yavlinsky
said at a dinner dedicated to the development of Russia . He said
that Mr. Putin had taken a political risk by strongly supporting
the U.S. war on terrorism, but that the payoff has so far been
slim. "Russia did a lot and got practically nothing in return,"
said State Duma Deputy Vladimir Ryzhkov.
For now, Washington is working harder to allay hurt feelings
in the Kremlin, rather than among Russia's dissident politicians.
Mr. Kasyanov heads to Washington Tuesday for a meeting with Mr.
Bush. At the economic conference in New York, Mr. Kasyanov said
he believes the U.S. will repeal the Jackson-Vanik amendment and
make a decision on Russia's market status soon.
Patient Approach
"I'd like to believe, and there is reason to believe"
that these changes will happen this year, Mr. Kasyanov said. "One
will come soon, the other later."
Sergei Karaganov of the Russia-based Institute of Europe told
the forum that Mr. Putin knew well in advance the domestic political
risks of supporting the U.S. war on terrorism. For that reason,
he said, the Kremlin is attempting to contain any disagreements
it has with Washington, and choreograph the public dialog with
regard to them when they become known. When the U.S. announced
it would like to amend or scrap the ABM treaty last year, the
Kremlin encouraged Washington to do the latter to get the matter
over with, he said. "Negotiations would have been a protracted
crisis," he said. "Now we have clean hands."
Moreover, Mr. Karaganov said, the Kremlin is already enjoying
some benefits of the U.S. war on terrorism. The U.S.-led campaign
in Afghanistan is destroying rebel bases that Moscow says were
used to train rebels in the breakaway region of Chechnya. "The
U.S. is already fighting for Russian interests abroad," said
Mr. Karaganov. Mr. Putin, he says, is a lot happier with U.S.
policy than oppositionists: "Putin is a lot less concerned
about Russia-U.S. problems right now than the writing and speaking
public is."
See also:
Acts
of Terror in the US
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