Translated material
Two captains
About Yeltsin
Condoleezza Rice: “The figure of Boris Yeltsin was critically important for Russia. But he was always better at destroying than creating... When in 1991 he climbed onto a tank and essentially roused Russia to a coup, he truly accomplished one of the most important things in modern Russian history. And for this we have to thank him. He did a lot of good - and probably wanted to do much more. But he had absolutely no idea how to make the country move forward. Democratic institutions never emerged in Russia because Boris Yeltsin relied too much on his personal power. He ruled like a dictator. Where is democracy here?
Leon Firth: “Yeltsin was the legally elected president of the Russian Federation for almost eight years. For a significant part of this time, he was the bastion that did not allow the communists to come to power. His tenure in power was marked by the emergence and flourishing of a free press, the creation of thousands of non-governmental organizations, and the emergence of hundreds of thousands of private entrepreneurs. He recognized the importance of partnership with the United States and was ready to make acceptable political concessions for this. When we are criticized for being too close to Yeltsin, I ask: who else could we have worked with?
About Chechnya
Condoleezza Rice: “The Chechen campaign is caused by the desire of the Russians to make amends for the feeling of national humiliation. Afghanistan, withdrawal from Central and Eastern Europe, withdrawal of Soviet troops from Germany, and finally, the last Chechen war... Chechnya has become a symbol of the weakness of the state. Sometimes it seems to me that they will not calm down until they march across Red Square with the heads of Chechen military commanders in their hands...”
Leon Firth: “We disagree with what Russia is doing in Chechnya and remain concerned about the way the new Russian leadership is intimidating the press. So we need to have an ongoing discussion with Russia on these issues.”
About Putin
Condoleezza Rice: “I don’t like him. But it's not my job to love him. This person has energy and intentions. The question is where they will be sent. Will energy be spent on making Russia more authoritarian? After all, he is not only connected with the security forces, but to some extent he owes his rise to them. Although, on the other hand, one of his mentors was a good man - Anatoly Sobchak.”
Leon Firth: “This is a very multifaceted figure. He is a supporter of a strong Russia, but his ideas about strength are contradictory - and sometimes sinister. He has demonstrated an ability to restrict the free press, and his policies in Chechnya have led to large-scale killings of civilians and created obstacles to Russia's integration into the world community. We have always made it clear to Putin that we are ready to cooperate with him where our interests coincide, and to remain calm where they diverge.”
About future reforms in Russia
Condoleezza Rice: “The main thing is tax reform. Today it turns out that Russians must pay up to 120% taxes on their income. The second task is to create a legal framework that protects the rights of the owner. The current Russian parliament is much stronger than previous ones. The right and center have a majority, so I think Putin will be able to push through reforms.”
Leon Firth: “The program President Putin presented to the people is a program of decisive economic reforms in the same direction that we proposed at the very beginning of our cooperation with Russia. If his program is implemented, it will give us great hope for the revival of the Russian economy in the presence of political freedoms.”
How the United States should build relations with Russia
Condoleezza Rice: “The new administration must recognize Russia as a great power. And understand that we have a huge security agenda. For a long time we kept our missiles aimed at each other. But today the nuclear problem is not Russia, but Iraq and North Korea. It will take more than one generation before Russia becomes a country with a thriving market economy and democracy. We cannot remain bystanders - but we cannot do everything for them. I think that under the Clinton administration we were too involved in their internal affairs. For a long time we called reforms what were not reforms at all. We welcomed reformers, many of whom were simply robbing their country. We have to tell the truth - and I think the Russians will accept it and our relations will only get better.”
Leon Firth: “Let's not undo all the positive things we've achieved. Regarding the allegedly missing IMF money, I can say: all the Russian programs of the Fund were carefully verified and responsible. International assistance for economic reforms in Russia is not without risk, of course, but the IMF and other organizations continue to work to reduce these risks while continuing to provide assistance. We recognize that Russia's transformation is not complete, all the more so we must continue to cooperate with it. We recognize that corruption threatens Russian democracy—all the more reason to encourage reform in Russia. We recognize that Russia has its own interests and ideas that do not coincide with ours - all the more reason to look for opportunities for cooperation."