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Putin spoke some blunt words in criticizing the Bush administration at the Munich Security Conference attended by delegates from 40 countries, including leading U.S. senators.
MUNICH, Germany (AFP) Feb. 10 – Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-frontal attack on the United States, saying it had broken from international law and made the world a more dangerous place.
Putin’s denunciation of US policy, made at a high-level security conference in Munich, prompted dismay among senior officials and politicians from the United States and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).
The United States had disastrously “overstepped” its borders, said the Russian leader, who spearheaded international opposition to the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which was also opposed by Germany and France.
Several thousand anti-war protesters marched through the southern German city to demonstrate against the conference.
“The United States has overstepped its borders in all spheres — economic, political and humanitarian and has imposed itself on other states,” Putin said at the annual Munich Conference on Security Policy.
What he called a “uni-polar” world dominated by the United States, “means in practice one thing: one centre of power, one centre of force, one centre of decision-making, a world of one master, one sovereign,” Putin said.
Such a situation was “extremely dangerous. No one feels secure because no one can hide behind international law.”
MUNICH, February 10 (Itar-Tass) — Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time participates in the Munich conference on security.
More than 100 leaders of countries, ministers, parliamentarians and experts have gathered for the forum.
Among the participants are German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, Estonian President Toomas Ilves, NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, U.S. Defence Secretary Robert Gates and the Georgian, Slovenian and Polish defence ministers. Iranian National Security Council Secretary and nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani is expected to participate in the forum.
WASHINGTON (AP) _ The Bush administration says it’s surprised and disappointed by today’s tongue-lashing from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Russian leader said the U-S is creating a dangerous arms race that’s driving smaller nations to pursue nuclear weapons. Speaking to 250 officials, including 40 defense and foreign ministers, Putin singled out the U-S as the “one state” that “has overstepped its national borders in every way.”
The president’s national security spokesman calls Putin’s accusations “wrong.” But he says the White House expects to continue working with Russia on counterterrorism and to reduce “the spread and threat of weapons of mass destruction.”
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."
