More Bad Stuff from Russia

Putin has come under fire from the E.U.:

VOLZHSKY UTYOS, Russia (AP) - European Union leaders criticized Russia's human rights record—and were faulted in return—at the end of a summit Friday that produced no formal agreements but helped illustrate the widening political chasm between Moscow and the West.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel complained that opposition activists were being prevented from traveling to a planned protest in the Volga River city of Samara, near the site of the EU-Russia summit.

"I'm concerned about some people having problems in traveling here," Merkel told reporters. "I hope they will be given an opportunity to express their opinion."

Among the activists kept from boarding flights was former chess champion Garry Kasparov, now a leading political foe of President Vladimir Putin. Officials confiscated activists' passports and tickets at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, and held them for about five hours. Activists in Samara also said they were harassed.

Russia's democratic freedoms and its treatment of critics are two of the most sensitive issues haunting Russia-EU relations. Merkel's remark came during a sometimes fractious exchange over the topics between Putin and EU leaders at a news conference.

Putin said his government does not fear protests, but insisted government opponents must abide by official regulations. He also blamed some violence on demonstrators.

"They don't bother me in any way," Putin said of the so-called "Dissenters' Marches" staged by Kasparov and others, which police have brutally dispersed.

The refusal of the Bush admin. to deal harshly with Putin is another in a long line of failures. But there is plenty of blame to go around. Putin has been enabled for years by several U.S. presidents, the EU, the UN, and his own citizenry. It shouldn't really surprise us that Putin, an ex-KGB agent, has used this as an opportunity to solidify his position as Russia's leader and to re-shape the government to meet his preferences.