Washington – Citing troub ling behavior by the Kremlin, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed skepticism Sunday about the future of democracy in Russia.
“We are very concerned, particularly about some of the elements of democratization that seem to be going in the wrong direction,” Rice said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, while on good terms personally with President Bush, has been criticized for centralizing political power and rolling back democratic gains.
Rice, appearing on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” pointed to severe limits on nongovernmental organizations begun this year and Russia’s use of energy as a weapon in a dispute with Ukraine this winter.
“I think the question is open as to where Russia’s future development is going,” Rice said.
Nothing can be gained by isolating Russia from institutions that demand democratic values from its members, she said.
Rice said the U.S. and Russia cooperate on issues such as terrorism, Iran’s nuclear programs and other areas.
“In general, I think that we have very good relations with Russia, probably the best relations that have been there for quite some time,” she said.
