No matter what the planned agendas, in so many of the sessions and debates the discussion has turned to Iraq. The overwhelming majority of people here, including many Americans, are worried not only about what many fear will be a unilateral U.S. decision to go to war against Iraq but more broadly about whether the sole remaining superpower can, as U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell put it in his address Sunday, "be trusted to use its power wisely and fairly."

Powell, of course, said it could, although many remain unconvinced.

Powell was preceded at Davos by less likely defenders of America such as Senator Joseph Biden, a Democrat who opposes the Bush administration policy on Iraq, and even Yabloko leader Grigory Yavlinsky.

Although Russia has stood with the Europeans on demanding a decision from the UN Security Council before sending in troops, Russians have been quiet here on the U.S. buildup toward war. Economic issues and Russia's own disputes with Europe have been higher on the agenda. Russia could even benefit, some say, from Washington's split with Paris and Berlin.

"If before it had been worth $100 for Russia's friendship, now it is worth $200," Bill Browder, CEO of Hermitage Capital Management, said Sunday.

Browder said one of his purposes in coming to Davos each year is to gauge big international investors' interest in Russia, and what he's hearing this year is that they are feeling more comfortable about investing in Russian oil companies because of what they see as strong geopolitical support for Russia to expand exports and become a more viable alternative to the Persian Gulf.

While downplaying the discord with Europe, Powell reached out to Russia and China. He said both were playing an important role in resolving the problems of Iraq and North Korea, and asked the audience to imagine how different the international situation would be if U.S. relations with Russia and China were still marked by intense rivalry.

And then he told Russia what it wanted to hear: "We fully support Russia's efforts to become fully integrated in the world economic community," he said.

Much of the criticism of the United States has been over the way it has pursued the campaign against terrorism, its perceived willingness to compromise democracy and curtail civil liberties at home and forgive human rights violations by allied countries. U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft defended U.S. policies, saying, "The fight for security is not a sacrifice of freedom." But he made clear that security comes first.

Senator Biden, who arrived in Davos on Friday afternoon, the second day of America-bashing, livened up a session on U.S. foreign policy with a colorful description of the United States' place in the world as "every country's problem and every country's solution." He closed by telling his international audience that "you know in your heads that we're not as bad as you say we are, and we're not as bad as some of your own countries."

Perhaps glad for the dose of humor, many members of the audience applauded, including Mikhail Margelov, the head of the Federation Council's foreign affairs committee, who was seated in the front row.

At a session the next day titled "U.S.A. Omnipotence," the moderator, Le Monde editor Jean-Marie Colombani, sent some participants and even some of the panelists scrambling for headphones by introducing the topic in French.

Yavlinsky, one of the panelists reaching for headphones, defended the United States, saying its "greatness" comes not just from its military power but from the difficulties it has overcome, such as slavery, segregation and poverty.

Yet even though the United States is the world's supreme power, it is not capable of fighting terrorists alone, he said. By way of analogy, Yavlinsky said the United States is prepared to hunt big game, but its real problem is not elephants but poison mosquitoes.

"We see a task -- to help the United States to be a factor for stability," he said.

At a dinner session Saturday night, Russia's relations with the European Union were on the agenda. Instead of geopolitics and security, the issues were trade barriers, WTO membership and European Union visas, and the problems seemed more divisive.

Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said little or nothing has been accomplished in WTO talks and called on Europe to put forward a clear timetable for opening its markets.

Yavlinsky repeated President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov's recent calls for visa-free travel to Europe.

Finnish President Tarja Halonen told the Russians that the EU supports WTO membership "on the condition that you fulfill the demands" and urged Russian businessmen to have "more modern" business agreements.

As for visas, she said, "We hope you don't freeze cooperation before then because it will be a long time."

Troika Dialog president Ruben Vardanian said the real test of Europe's acceptance of Russia's integration will come as Russian companies take over European companies. "This is a big question," Vardanian said. "This needs to be discussed. Are we really ready for cooperation?"

Strobe Talbott, the president of the Brookings Institution and a longtime Russia hand, tried to put the points of contention in context, saying that while anti-dumping regulations and visa requirements were important, they were "not in the same league" as the things that divided Russia from Europe not so long ago.

"Russia is now part of the majority that is ganging up on the United States," Talbott said.

But Yavlinsky once again turned attention back to Russia's new ally on the other side of the Atlantic. He said to have a stable relationship with Europe, Russia has to create a stable relationship with the United States.

"The door for Europe is in Washington," Yavlinsky said.

Is this true?

"It is true, but it won't be true for a whole lot longer," Talbott said as the guests were walking out onto the snowy streets of Davos.

See also:

the origianl at
www.themoscowtimes.com

Press Release. January 23, 2003. Davos 2003. Schedule for Grigory Yavlinsky. "The Russian Issue."

The Moscow Times, January 27, 2003