Putin faces hard bargaining in U.S.

By Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW, NOV. 10. The Russian President, Mr. Vladimir Putin, sets out on his crucial visit to Washington on Monday to forge a new strategic partnership with the United States, but unless he can bring back tangible proof that this is a two-way process, he will come under attack at home for surrendering Russia's national interests.

Mr. Putin has skillfully projected Russia's indispensability for the global coalition against international terrorism in order to start a process rapprochement with the West. He has not only decisively supported the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan and, but has pledged to shut down the naval and air base at Cam Rahn in Vietnam and the electronic spy station at Lourdes in Cuba - the only strategic military outposts Russia has retained from the Cold War era. The moves have encouraged a fundamental reappraisal of the West's policy towards Russia but proved too radical for a section of the Russian military and political community to swallow. Mr. Putin has been accused of making rash decisions and unwarranted unilateral concessions.

Even the loyal political elite grouped in the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, while supporting Russia's joining the anti- terrorist coalition, warned that the decision was ``fraught with major losses for Russia.''

Mr. Putin himself is aware of the potential risks. In an interview to American media on the eve of his visit to Washington, he said the U.S. was losing an information war in Afghanistan.

``I think terrorists are gaining the upper hand on the information front. They are more aggressive, imaginative and emotional.''

In the absence of any major victories on the ground, Mr. Putin appeared to be warning that a setback in information war could spell an overall defeat.

An opinion poll taken last month showed that almost 70 per cent of Russians were against extending any support to America in its war in Afghanistan. Several prominent religious leaders of Russia's 20 million Muslims have openly denounced the U.S. air strikes in Afghanistan.

The Russian military is also suspicious of U.S. motives. The official mouthpiece of the Russian Ministry of Defence, the Krasnaya Zvezda daily, the U.S. growing military presence in Central Asia, ``cannot but cause concern among experts.'' The former head of the Russian Defence Ministry's international department, General Leonid Ivashov, was on record stating that the U.S. was seeking world domination and needed allies, including Russia, ``to share responsibility for unleashing war and destroying the existing global order.''

The outline of a deal Mr. Putin is likely to strike with the U.S. President, Mr. George W. Bush is rejected by critics as self- defeating for Russia. They say Washington's refusal to formalise the proposed deep cuts in the American and Russian nuclear arsenals in a bilateral treaty will allow the U.S. to reverse the reductions in future. They also reject as ludicrous Washington's effort to trade off its offer of missile cuts against Moscow's consent to the deployment of a U.S. national missile defence.

The Communist leader, Mr. Gennaday Zyuganov, last week harshly criticised Mr. Putin's foreign policy as a sell-out of national interests. ``The West has secured a maximum of concessions, but made no steps in return,'' he wrote in an open letter to Mr. Putin. ``Our country's strategic position continues to decline.''

Mr. Putin will have to do some hard bargaining in Washington to avoid giving the impression of making unilateral concessions to the U.S. strategic issues and to win a firm commitment from Mr. Bush to waive discriminatory legislation against Russian exports and back Russia's membership of the World Trade Organisation on Moscow's terms.

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Section  : International
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