Word: yeltsin
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...Yeltsin: You have certain political leaders in your country, and we have them too. To be quite frank, when the Democrats lost the elections, it made life more difficult for President Clinton, since the Republicans sometimes raise certain issues to irritate him. I always support his positions...
...Yeltsin: The very fact that the President is coming for the 50th anniversary of our common victory is eloquent proof of the profound changes that have taken place in Russian-American relations in a relatively short time. The main point is that the partnership between Russia and the U.S. is becoming a living reality. It is perhaps most active in the sphere of international security. Having done away with confrontation, we have given our people a chance to live for the first time without fear of the threat of a nuclear...
...Yeltsin: Chechnya is a part of the Russian Federation, and what happens in Chechnya happens on the territory of a single state -- the Russian Federation. You might recall that in 1787 the population of Wyoming Valley sought to secede from Pennsylvania and form its own state. The executive council answered that challenge with orders to a unit of the state's militia to arrest their leader. We found ourselves in a similar situation under different circumstances in different times. [Chechen rebel leader Jokhar] Dudayev had launched an armed rebellion with the goal of destroying the integrity of the Russian Federation...
...Yeltsin: You should not forget that the Chechen people also fought during World War II. Almost every family has someone who was killed. So Victory Day is still a holiday for them, although perhaps they are celebrating with tears in their eyes. If certain bandits choose to break our agreement, we'll manage to deal with them. The current situation is much better. It has calmed down, and we are witnessing a renewal in the area. Buildings and communication lines are being restored, trade is resuming, and administrative bodies are functioning. We have a Chechen government, assisted by the federal...
...Yeltsin: Theoretically, such a danger exists. We are only beginning to build our new democratic state and new economy. Given our history, these are extremely hard tasks, and we are forced to pursue both goals at the same time. We do not have any other options. A strong civic society, a middle class and a culture of law are basic conditions for a stable democracy in any country. But these preconditions are only taking shape in Russia. For these reasons, the danger of an authoritarian regime will exist here for some time yet. Two scenarios for sliding into authoritarianism...