Bush admonishes Russia to commit to democracy
In Europe, seeks to heal rift in relations
BRUSSELS -- President Bush publicly urged Russia yesterday to adopt "a commitment to democracy and the rule of law," delivering an unusually blunt admonishment to Russian President Vladimir Putin three days before the two leaders are set to meet in Slovakia.
In an address meant to heal the United States' strained relationship with Europe, the American president had tough words as well for leaders in the Middle East, urging Syria to pull out of Lebanon and warning Iran that it must not continue with its suspected nuclear weapons program.
He also deemed peace in the Middle East "our greatest opportunity and our immediate goal," and said Europe and the United States could use their renewed partnership to bring stability to the troubled region.
"For the sake of peace, the Iranian regime must end its support for terrorism, and must not develop nuclear weapons," Bush said, winning applause from a generally subdued audience of businessmen, educators, and diplomats assembled by the German Marshall Fund, an American group.
But the president gave a subtle assurance that the United States was not headed irrevocably toward a military confrontation with the nations Bush once labeled part of the "axis of evil."
"Iran . . . is different from Iraq," Bush said, and "we're in the early stages of diplomacy."
Bush had kind comments for his European allies, thanking individual nations for their prodemocracy efforts and frequently underscoring the importance of the alliance. But on policy, Bush conceded nothing, instead focusing on the common goals of Europe and the United States while papering over their different approaches to achieving them.
"Some Europeans joined the fight to liberate Iraq, while others did not," Bush told the group at Concert Noble, an ornate meeting hall in Brussels. "All nations now have an interest in the success of a free and democratic Iraq, which will fight terror, which will be a beacon of freedom, and which will be a source of true stability in the region."
The prime minister of Belgium, Guy Verhofstadt, welcomed what he called "a fresh dialogue and a new partnership" between the United States and Europe. Verhofstadt suggested Europe had made a mistake by waiting to address the Balkan crisis in the 1990s, and noted that it was the United States that had to act first to stop ethnic cleansing in Bosnia. "We had to wait for the United States to put an end to it," he said.
In an obvious reference to Iraq, Verhofstadt said the United States and Europe need to set their differences aside and work together against poverty, disease, and tyranny. "It makes little sense to continue arguing about who was right and who was wrong," he said.
President Jacques Chirac of France also had conciliatory words for Bush, noting that while the two nations had their disagreements, particularly over Iraq, France and the United States had a centuries-old friendship based on their "common values and our common vision" -- phrases that have become a slogan for Bush's visit here.
Asked by reporters if he might invite Chirac to his ranch in Texas to cement their relationship, Bush looked bemused. "I'm looking for a good cowboy," Bush said of Chirac. Bush did not proffer an invitation, although the White House said Chirac is expected to visit the United States this year. But the president noted that his first official dinner on foreign soil in his second term was with Chirac, "and that ought to say something."
Despite what an administration official called an "extremely cordial" working dinner with Chirac yesterday, Bush made it clear that the United States still opposes the EU's expected decision to lift its arms embargo against China. The United States believes the move would imperil regional security, while Europe thinks it is unfair to lump China with other rogue states subject to the embargo.
Bush's address was greeted warmly, if not enthusiastically, by the European business and political officials. Listeners yesterday saved their applause for specific statements of policy that pleased them, particularly comments about the Middle East and the importance of the European Union as an institution.
While many Europeans did not support Bush's reelection, those nations' leaders understand Bush is the man they must deal with on key economic and international security issues, said Robert Pfaltzgraff, professor of international security studies at Tufts University. "He represents the dominant segment of American opinion at this point, and therefore, Europeans had better take a second look at his policies," he said.
Bush will continue his fence-mending effort today, when he meets separately in Brussels with leaders from NATO and the European Union. A senior administration official said the White House hopes tomorrow to get some commitment from all NATO members to help out in Iraq, either with troops or with training or financial assistance.
Bush's remarks about Russia yesterday came as a surprise in a speech that was expected to be a gesture of renewed friendship with nations still at odds with the United States on matters ranging from Iraq to environmental policy and the role of international institutions.
While many critics have expressed alarm at the state of democracy in post-communist Russia, the Bush administration has been gentler with the leader Bush describes as a friend. Bush was expected to raise the issue privately with Putin on Thursday, but yesterday went public with his concerns.
"For Russia to make progress as a European nation, the Russian government must renew a commitment to democracy and the rule of law. We recognize that reform will not happen overnight. We must always remind Russia, however, that our alliance stands for a free press, a vital opposition, the sharing of power, and the rule of law, and the United States and all European countries should place democratic reform at the heart of their dialogue with Russia," Bush said.
Later, before a dinner with Chirac, Bush suggested that Russia's entrance into the World Trade Organization might be contingent on democratic changes, since the WTO requires "open markets," which Bush said tend to be in countries that are "open to the voices of their people."
Putin has been criticized for backsliding on democracy in Russia, including cracking down on political dissent and independent media, and centralizing power by taking away direct election of the regional governors. Bush's conservative supporters at home have also been frustrated with what they call Bush's tolerance of antidemocratic trends in the former Soviet republic.
Putin has been a steadfast supporter of Bush, despite the fact that the American president is not popular in Russia, said Marshall Goldman, a Russia specialist at Harvard University. Bush probably made his comments with his own conservative constituency in mind, Goldman said.
On the Middle East peace process, Bush had directives for both sides, cautioning Israel to freeze Jewish settlement activity in the West Bank and telling Palestinians they must cut off support for terrorism and "extremist education" that fosters violence. The Israeli Cabinet on Sunday approved the movement of Jewish settlers out of the area. Bush also said a Palestinian state must be "contiguous."
"A state of scattered territories will not work," Bush said. 