World politicians in an open letter compared Putin with a dictator

"The current Russian leaders is spoiling with the main democratic values ​​of the Euro -Atlantic community," the NATO and EU member states and governments of the NATO member states, which are published on Wednesday and the text of which fell into the hands of the Financial Times Deutschland , said.

“In recent years, the West has been silent too often about this in the hope that President Putin’s steps in the wrong direction are temporary,” the Western politicians should realize that our current strategy in relation to Russia fails. ”

On the German side, the most authoritative signator of the letter was the head of the Green Party Rainhard Buticofer. The list of signathers also includes the most influential foreign policy figures of the American Senate: Democrat Joseph Biden and Republican John McCain. Here Richard Holbrook, the most likely candidate for the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs, if Democrat John Kerry comes to power.

The letter was also signed by many former heads of state and governments of European countries, for example, Czech Vaclav Gavel, Swede Karl Bildt and Italian Juliano Amato. Also among the signal, Friedbert Pflier appears, which oversees the Opposition faction of the CDU/CSS in the German parliament of foreign policy. On the contrary, there are no representatives of the ruling SDPG among signatories.

With this open letter, the signed are called into question the policy of NATO and the EU countries, which, despite Putin's authoritarian decisions, are betting on strategic partnership with Moscow. After terrorist attacks on two Russian aircraft and the seizure of hostages at the Beslan school, Putin expanded his power and powers of security agencies. In addition, he canceled direct elections of governors. Mandates in the Duma will now be distributed only according to party lists.

This reform is considered a weakening of democracy. In addition, Russia is accused of serious human rights violations of Chechnya.

The signature of Mr. Buchikofer shows that among the "green" non -critical policy of Chancellor Schroeder and Foreign Minister Yoshki Fisher against Russia, he comes across resistance. The Chancellor sees in Putin one of his most important political partners, who opens Germany with opportunities in the field of economics and politics. Therefore, Schroeder deliberately refrains from public criticism of Putin’s non -treasure.

The signed, on the contrary, see Putin's Russia on the way to the authoritarian regime. “He systematically cut the freedom and independence of the press, destroyed mutual control mechanisms in the federal system of Russia, arbitrarily imprisoned real and imaginary rivals, deleted legitimate candidates from ballots, intimidated and arrested the leaders of non -governmental organizations and weakened political parties in Russia,” the letter said.

The authors also criticize the behavior of Russia in relation to other countries aggressive from their point of view. "The foreign policy of President Putin is increasingly characterizing a threatening tone in relation to the neighbors of Russia and regarding the energy security of Europe, the return of the militaristic and imperialist rhetoric and the refusal to obey the international contractual obligations that Russia took upon itself." (The translation of the article publishes the site inopressa.ru ).

Putin’s policy can lead to the exclusion of Russia from the big eight

The criticism that is contained in the “open letter” of Western politicians about the initiatives of President Putin must be perceived extremely seriously. This opinion on the air "Echo of Moscow" was expressed by the director of Russian programs of the US Defense Center Nikolai Zlobin

He notes that Washington discusses the issue of Russia's membership in a large eight and the number of supporters of the exclusion of Moscow from this organization is growing. For the Kremlin, this will be a foreign policy catastrophe, ”Zlobin emphasizes.