home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
CNN Newsroom: Global View
/
CNN Newsroom: Global View.iso
/
txt
/
fbis
/
fbis1293.009
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-05-09
|
3KB
|
74 lines
<text>
<title>
Russians See Postpoll 'Shift' in U.S. Policy
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Foreign Broadcast Information Service, December 22, 1993
Russians See Postpoll 'Shift' in U.S. Policy
</hdr>
<body>
<p>[Aleksandr Shalnev report: "Is Washington Changing Its
Position With Regard to Moscow?"]
</p>
<p>[Text] Shifts [sdvigi] are becoming discernible in U.S. policy
toward Russia, and this is being forced on Washington's White
House by the results of the recent elections, at which, a key
adviser to President Clinton on the Russian question, Strobe
Talbott, admitted, a clear protest was registered against the
painful burdens associated with the reforms.
</p>
<p>At a meeting with reporters, Talbott, who has just visited
Moscow as a member of Vice President Gore's entourage, made it
clear that the United States will now be prepared to take notice
not only of President Boris Yeltsin but also of the reformers in
the opposition to the Kremlin leader. "If they satisfy our
concepts of reforms," said Talbott--who is often called the
"Russian czar" in Washington inasmuch as he is chief coordinator
of the activities of all federal departments relating to Russia
and the other countries of the former USSR--"if they come out in
support of democracy, we will definitely support them."
</p>
<p>Talbott did not mention any specific names, and what is more
he very skillfully avoided a direct reply when asked if
Washington had begun a review of its Russian policy, but in
itself the very readiness of the Clinton administration to "look
BEYOND Yeltsin" is an extremely important trend. It is very well
known how insistently Bill Clinton has rejected any proposals
not to put "all his eggs in one basket," as they say in America;
that is, not to put all his money solely and exclusively on the
Russian president, to attempt to build bridges, and to form
relationships with those who do not espouse Yeltsin's reforms 100
percent.
</p>
<p>And now we have these admissions by Talbott, who enjoys
Clinton's absolute trust in terms of Russian affairs and who
would hardly have made his statement spontaneously without having
verified it with the feelings of the White House chief. It can be
surmised that these feelings are taking shape both under the
influence of the information coming from Moscow in which the
election results have been deciphered, and under the influence of
the observations which Talbott himself brought back from Russia.
</p>
<p>According to the "Russian czar," Moscow must pay more
attention to the social needs of Russia's inhabitants and to the
development of private enterprise. For its part, the United
States is planning to review its program of aid to Russia in
order to take account of Russians' dissatisfaction with the
economic reforms and in order to help strengthen the reformers'
political positions.
</p>
<p>One more thing: Senator Sam Nunn, Democrat, who is chairman of
the Armed Service Committee, has stated that "the American side
must establish contact with Zhirinovskiy, as we must maintain
contacts with all the groupings in Russia." At the same time, the
senator, who is one of the most influential on Capitol Hill, is
opposed to Clinton's meeting with the leader of the Liberal
Democratic Party of Russia when he visits Moscow in mid-January.
"He is only the leader of a small, albeit potentially
influential, grouping."
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>