Main focus of Friday, February 15, 2008

Putin's last press conference as president

In his last big press conference as Russian head of state, Vladimir Putin had harsh words for Europe. He warned against installing a missile shield in Poland and the Czech Republic and recognising Kosovo. At the same time he made clear his intention to stay in power following an election victory for his candidate Dmitri Medvedev in the presidential elections on 2 March.

Postimees - Estonia

In yesterday's speech Putin once again demonstrated his ability to manipulate, Igor Taro writes, accusing Putin of using double standards: "[In his speech] Putin lumped the West together as a unified whole and sought to rebut European fears about the state of democracy in Russia by citing the sins of the Americans in Vietnam several decades ago. ... When it comes to Russia's arsenal of nuclear weapons, we are sufficiently aware of its strength to know that deploying a couple of defence missiles in Poland hardly constitutes a threat to Russian security. Putin dismisses a democratic election campaign as populism. But what, then, is a two-hour monologue in front of the television cameras?" (15/02/2008)

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Le Monde - France

In the Kremlin's hostility towards Westerners, the daily sees "a tactic aimed at accumulating assets so that Russia can move on to the next stage in a strong position. By playing the energy card and questioning most past agreements between the West and Moscow in the aftermath of the USSR, Mr. Putin has attempted to give Russia back a powerful status that will have to be heeded. He wants to do everything in his power to stop the Atlantic world from approaching his borders, or what he considers his borders, and even regain ground already lost. With a version of diplomacy that dates back to the Vienna Congress in 1815, Putin is arming Russia with a view to a new distribution of influential spheres. Europeans need to know this." (15/02/2008)

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El País - Spain

The daily considers that Putin has delivered a 'testament' that the next Russian president is going to have to respect. "Noticeable in the catalogue of warnings, despite the attenuating affirmation that the Kremlin does not wish a return to the Cold War, is the fact that missiles are pointed towards neighbouring countries that wish to participate in the American anti-missile shield, considered a direct threat to Russia's security. The warning is addressed to Nato members Poland and Czech Republic, but also to Ukraine. ... Yesterday's speech, in which we also find justification for the political use of energy and sarcasm regarding the way Westerners judge the Russian political model, shows that Putin's Russia will not come to an end in May. The internal and external foundations laid down by the president are bound to last numerous years." (15/02/2008)

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