HOME	Where the World's Views of America Come into Focus

By Veronique Soule

May 7, 2005

Original Article (French)    

The vast diplomatic maneuvering taking place before commemorations for the end of the Second World War this weekend show that 60 years later, the competition between the Russians and Americans have not completely disappeared. During his tour of Europe, President George W. Bush intends to point out America's role in the allied victory and its will, today, to propagate democracy in the world. On Monday, Bush will attend extravagant ceremonies in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and celebrate with him the heroic epic of the Soviets vis-a-vis the Nazis to recall Russia's past glory.

But before taking part in the ceremonies in Red Square with about 60 other world leaders, Bush will meet on Saturday with the leaders of the three Baltic States in Riga, the capital of Latvia. Two of them, -- the Estonian and Lithuanian -- presidents, refused the invitation to come to Moscow, for an event to mark the anniversary of their nation's annexation into the U.S.S.R. The Latvian president will attend, but only to explain to the world that the date being celebrated marked the beginning of a new oppression for half of Europe.

SYMBOLISM

For Bush, this stopover is highly symbolic. The Baltic States, today members of the European Union and NATO, are model pupils of a new Europe removed from Communism: very liberal, they are unconditional supporters of Washington, their protector vis-a-vis the Russian "threat." They maintain tenuous relations with Moscow, who they suspect of seeking to destabilize their countries, whereas Russia accuses them of mistreating their Russian minorities. "The Baltic States are doing very well. Their economies are developing, freedom is working," said a pleased Bush.

Inserting the final nail, the American president will conclude his trip with a stopover in Georgia, the ex- Soviet Republic, which left the Russian bosom with the "pink revolution" at the end of 2003. Its president, Mikhail Saakashvili, who has a strained relationship with Moscow, conditioned his attendance on a pledge from Russia to close its last two military bases in Georgia. On Friday, he canceled his visit to Moscow.

In Tbilissi, Bush can be expected to reaffirm his will to contribute to the democratization of the region. The day before his departure, Bush qualified Bielorussia as, "the last dictatorship in Europe,"  and promised, "to work with the free countries of the world to make sure that free elections proceed there."

PARTNERS

It is easy to understand the tenseness of the Kremlin, which wanted to make this sixtieth anniversary into a planetary commemoration of the glory of Russia, heir to the U.S.S.R. It sees the verbal attack launched by the Baltic States and continued by Poland as dampening the atmosphere and Bush's attitude as encouraging them.

Moscow and Washington however remain "strategic partners," in particular in the fight against terrorism. Coming from the Netherlands, where he is to make a speech at a military cemetery at Margraten before the tombs of 80,000 American soldiers killed in 1944-1945, Bush will dine on Sunday at Putin's countryside residence. But he added to his itinerary a Monday meeting with "leaders of civil society," primarily with defenders of human rights.

PUTIN'S GESTURE

"In fact, the Baltic States were part of the currency of exchange in world politics, and it is of course a tragedy for these nations," said Putin answering questions from the German press on Friday. But he refused to speak about "occupation" or to offer apologies, recalling that in 1989, the U.S.S.R. had already condemned the pact German-Soviet pact of 1939. "Now we hear that our country must admit the illegality of these decisions and condemn them. We already did that. So? Do we have to do it every year?"