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Putin slaps back at Cheney

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published July 13, 2006

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin lashed out at Vice President Dick Cheney ahead of this weekend's G-8 summit, calling Cheney's recent criticisms of Russia "an unsuccessful hunting shot," according to a television interview broadcast Wednesday.

The remark, from an interview with NBC, referred to the shotgun blast by Cheney on a hunting trip that accidentally wounded a companion.

Cheney, in a May speech, accused Russia of cracking down on religious and political rights and of using its energy reserves as "tools of intimidation or blackmail."

Putin said, "I think the statements of your vice president of this sort are the same as an unsuccessful hunting shot."

Tensions exist between the United States and Russia as both prepare for the Group of Eight summit, beginning Saturday in St. Petersburg, the former czarist capital.

Western leaders are expected to raise concerns at the summit about Russian moves that are seen as antidemocratic, including a new law placing restrictions on nongovernmental organizations, tightening state control of news media and making the upper chamber of Parliament an appointed body instead of an elected one.

Russia, in setting the agenda for the G-8 summit, has made energy security one of the top issues.

Opposition movements and civic groups participating in the "Other Russia" meeting appealed to G-8 leaders Wednesday to pressure Putin to end what they called systematic political repression.

The G-8 summit starts Saturday as leaders of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States gather for dinner.

A search for ways to deal with North Korea's test firing of missiles and Iran's nuclear program are expected to take up much of the discussion time.

[Last modified July 13, 2006, 06:34:12]