Bush and Putin clash over Middle East crisis

US President George Bush and Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin clashed over the conflict in the Middle East and the liberalisation of world trade in a chilly prelude to the G8 summit in St Petersburg in Russia today.

The US leader blocked Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organisation and Putin mockingly said Moscow doesn’t want the kind of violence-plagued democracy the US has fostered in Iraq.

Alternately joking and baiting each other at a news conference, the two also showed differences on the explosion of violence in the Middle East.

Bush did not blame Israel for its attacks in Lebanon and said it was up to the militant group Hezbollah to lay down its arms. Putin, referring to Hezbollah, said abductions and the use of force were unacceptable. But he was also critical of Israel’s use of force.

The two leaders met for two hours before the opening of the annual summit of eight world powers, which was expected to focus on nuclear problems with Iran and North Korea and the escalating fighting between Israel and the Islamic terror group Hezbollah.

There was a quick handshake but little warmth between Bush and Putin during a photo opportunity opening their talks.

Despite the sparring, there was none of the tension and anger that crackled in Bratislava, Slovakia, 17 months ago when Bush challenged Putin over Russia’s crackdown on dissent and retreat from democracy and the Russian president snapped back.

After that jarring meeting, Bush concluded that lecturing Putin in public was unproductive. Still, Bush said he offered Putin some suggestions.

“I talked about my desire to promote institutional change in parts of the world like Iraq where there’s a free press and free religion,” Bush said at the news conference, “and I told him that a lot of people in our country would hope that Russia would do the same thing.”

Putin, in a barbed reply, said: “We certainly would not want to have the same kind of democracy as they have in Iraq, I will tell you quite honestly.”

Bush’s face reddened as he tried to laugh off the remark. “Just wait,” Bush replied about Iraq.

Putin also said Russia would not take part “in any crusades, in any holy alliances.” Bush’s national security adviser, Stephen Hadley, said he was perplexed by the comment.

Hosting the Group of Eight summit for the first time, Putin had hoped to win approval for Russia’s admission to the World Trade Organisation, the 149-nation group that sets the rules for world trade.

The US is the only country that has not signed off on Russia’s membership in the WTO, and Bush dashed Putin’s hopes for getting in now.

“We’re tough negotiators,” Bush said, adding that any agreement would have to be acceptable to the US Congress.

US Trade Representative Susan Schwab said “significant progress” had been made in narrowing differences over the protection of US copyrights and patents and boosting the sale of American manufactured goods. She said negotiators were unable to resolve a dispute over Russian barriers to the sale of American beef and pork, but the hope was that an agreement would be reached “in the next couple of months.”

The Middle East violence threatened to overtake the summit’s carefully planned agenda and highlight divisions among leaders. Bush has been outspoken in defending Israel and accusing Hezbollah – backed by Syria and Iran – of igniting the crisis with a cross-border raid into Israel and the capture of two Israeli soldiers.

“The best way to stop the violence is for Hezbollah to lay down its arms and to stop attacking. And therefore I call upon Syria to exert influence over Hezbollah,” Bush said.

Putin agreed it was unacceptable to pursue goals using force.

“At the same time,” he said, “we work under the assumption that the use of force should be balanced.” European countries – France in particular – have condemned Israel’s attacks as excessive.

The US pressed for a summit statement identifying Hezbollah as the main culprit and emphasising the importance of maintaining a democratic Lebanon.

The statement also would criticise Syria, Iran, and the Palestinian group Hamas for “all acting in a way that frustrates democracy in the area and frustrates peace,” said Hadley. It would assert the importance of maintaining democracy in Lebanon and salute efforts of the United Nations to restore peace.

Bush said he and Putin agreed on the need for the UN Security Council to take action against Iran for refusing to halt uranium enrichment and against North Korea for testing a long-range missile and refusing to rejoin six-nation disarmament talks.