Clinton Administration Optimistic on Russian Reform Amid Chechnya Crisis

Strategic Insights -

The Clinton administration believes that Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin will weather the Chechnya crisis, and democratic reform in Russia will continue, despite calls for his resignation. Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III gave a qualified boost to the White House's Moscow policy, stating that Yeltsin is the duly elected president of Russia and that the administration should deal with him if it believes in democracy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Clinton administration supports Russia's territorial integrity and believes that Chechnya should be respected as part of the Russian Federation.
  • Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III testified before a congressional committee that the administration's support of Russia's territorial integrity is good and that Yeltsin is the duly elected president of Russia.
  • The White House has tentatively planned a summit meeting in Moscow in May to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.
  • The administration believes that democracy in Russia "never looked stronger," given the vigorous parliamentary debate in Moscow and freewheeling press criticism directed at the Yeltsin regime.
  • Undersecretary of State Peter Tarnoff stated that the vigor of the press in Russia is testimony to the democratic movement's progress.
  • The former state secretary, James A. Baker III, argued that Russia's preoccupation with domestic problems is not necessarily bad for the continuation of reform and the development of democracy in Russia.

Statistics:

  • The White House has received a qualified boost for its Moscow policy from an unlikely source, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III.
  • The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) adopted a statement condemning Russia's violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Chechnya.
  • The OSCE voted to send a delegation to the besieged capital, Grozny, this weekend.
  • 53 representatives from the OSCE participated in the vote.
  • The U.S. hopes for a political resolution in Chechnya as early as possible.

Sources:

  • White House officials
  • Former Secretary of State James A. Baker III
  • State Department spokesperson Christine Shelly
  • Undersecretary of State Peter Tarnoff
  • The Organization on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
  • Reuters news agency
  • The Washington Post