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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Saying He’s Pro-Russia, McCain Criticizes Putin | Saying He’s Pro-Russia, McCain Criticizes Putin |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| MOSCOW — In a combative essay published Thursday in the online newspaper Pravda.ru, Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, declared himself to be “pro-Russian” but delivered a blistering attack on President Vladimir V. Putin, describing him as presiding over a failed petro-state and as a quasi dictator who rules “by corruption, repression and violence.” | |
| Mr. McCain’s article was intended to answer an Op-Ed column by Mr. Putin in The New York Times on Sept. 12 that made the case against President Obama’s threatened military strike on Syria. Mr. Putin’s column, in which he presented Russia’s position as defending international law and respect for state sovereignty, generated fierce debate, including praise and accusations of hypocrisy. | Mr. McCain’s article was intended to answer an Op-Ed column by Mr. Putin in The New York Times on Sept. 12 that made the case against President Obama’s threatened military strike on Syria. Mr. Putin’s column, in which he presented Russia’s position as defending international law and respect for state sovereignty, generated fierce debate, including praise and accusations of hypocrisy. |
| While Mr. Putin’s article focused more generally on American foreign policy, Mr. McCain, who has long been a sharp critic of the Kremlin, focused squarely on the Russian president himself. In his introduction, though, Mr. McCain made an effort to dispel the idea that he is anti-Russian, a perception that is widespread here. | While Mr. Putin’s article focused more generally on American foreign policy, Mr. McCain, who has long been a sharp critic of the Kremlin, focused squarely on the Russian president himself. In his introduction, though, Mr. McCain made an effort to dispel the idea that he is anti-Russian, a perception that is widespread here. |
| “I am not anti-Russian,” Mr. McCain wrote. “I am pro-Russian, more pro-Russian than the regime that misrules you today.” | “I am not anti-Russian,” Mr. McCain wrote. “I am pro-Russian, more pro-Russian than the regime that misrules you today.” |
| “I make that claim because I respect your dignity and your right to self-determination,” he continued, addressing the Russian people. “You should be governed by a rule of law that is clear, consistently and impartially enforced and just. I make that claim because I believe the Russian people, no less than Americans, are endowed by our creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he added. | “I make that claim because I respect your dignity and your right to self-determination,” he continued, addressing the Russian people. “You should be governed by a rule of law that is clear, consistently and impartially enforced and just. I make that claim because I believe the Russian people, no less than Americans, are endowed by our creator with inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness,” he added. |
| While Mr. McCain wrote that he did not believe a Russian citizen could publish similar criticism, such complaints appear frequently in the Russian press — especially online, where there is generally no censorship even as the government retains fairly strong control over what is shown on the major television stations, particularly in news reports. | While Mr. McCain wrote that he did not believe a Russian citizen could publish similar criticism, such complaints appear frequently in the Russian press — especially online, where there is generally no censorship even as the government retains fairly strong control over what is shown on the major television stations, particularly in news reports. |
| Mr. Putin, speaking Thursday at an annual conference of Western academics and policy analysts, ridiculed Mr. McCain for submitting the article to Pravda, which he suggested was proof that the American senator was locked in an outdated cold war mind-set. | Mr. Putin, speaking Thursday at an annual conference of Western academics and policy analysts, ridiculed Mr. McCain for submitting the article to Pravda, which he suggested was proof that the American senator was locked in an outdated cold war mind-set. |
| “I think that he has a certain deficit of information about our country,” Mr. Putin said. | “I think that he has a certain deficit of information about our country,” Mr. Putin said. |
| “And the fact that he wanted to be published in Pravda, not any other publication, apparently he wants to be published in a most authoritative publication with big circulation,” Mr. Putin added, mockingly. “Of course, Pravda is a respectable publication of the now oppositional Communist Party, but its level of distribution in the country is minimal.” | “And the fact that he wanted to be published in Pravda, not any other publication, apparently he wants to be published in a most authoritative publication with big circulation,” Mr. Putin added, mockingly. “Of course, Pravda is a respectable publication of the now oppositional Communist Party, but its level of distribution in the country is minimal.” |
| Mr. Putin insisted that there was nothing anti-American in his article in The Times, and he said Mr. McCain had been invited to the conference, called the Valdai Discussion Club after the Russian town where it is held. | Mr. Putin insisted that there was nothing anti-American in his article in The Times, and he said Mr. McCain had been invited to the conference, called the Valdai Discussion Club after the Russian town where it is held. |
| Mr. Putin usually holds a private dinner with the Valdai group, but to note the event’s 10th anniversary, the invitation list was broadened to include several opposition politicians and journalists who were given limited access. | Mr. Putin usually holds a private dinner with the Valdai group, but to note the event’s 10th anniversary, the invitation list was broadened to include several opposition politicians and journalists who were given limited access. |
| Mr. Putin used his remarks and a question-and-answer session to touch on a wide range of subjects, and he portrayed the event itself as proof that there was no suppression of speech in Russia. | Mr. Putin used his remarks and a question-and-answer session to touch on a wide range of subjects, and he portrayed the event itself as proof that there was no suppression of speech in Russia. |
| At one point, Mr. Putin defended a new Russian law banning propaganda on nontraditional sexual relations, which is widely perceived as intended to suppress homosexuality. He said that the law did not discriminate, but also that “Europeans are dying out” in part because of societal acceptance of gay relationships. | At one point, Mr. Putin defended a new Russian law banning propaganda on nontraditional sexual relations, which is widely perceived as intended to suppress homosexuality. He said that the law did not discriminate, but also that “Europeans are dying out” in part because of societal acceptance of gay relationships. |
| Even as he suggested that Mr. McCain was stuck in the past, Mr. Putin raised his own complaint with a cold war edge. | Even as he suggested that Mr. McCain was stuck in the past, Mr. Putin raised his own complaint with a cold war edge. |
| “Once, we were promised that NATO will not cross the eastern border” of Germany, he said. “We discussed it and Gorbachev was given a promise, though it was not registered anywhere. And now, where is NATO? And where is the border? We were simply duped.” | “Once, we were promised that NATO will not cross the eastern border” of Germany, he said. “We discussed it and Gorbachev was given a promise, though it was not registered anywhere. And now, where is NATO? And where is the border? We were simply duped.” |
| Mr. McCain cited the propaganda law in his article, criticizing Mr. Putin’s government. “They write laws to codify bigotry against people whose sexual orientation they condemn,” he wrote. | Mr. McCain cited the propaganda law in his article, criticizing Mr. Putin’s government. “They write laws to codify bigotry against people whose sexual orientation they condemn,” he wrote. |
| He did not defend United States policies, but accused Mr. Putin of shielding the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. “How has he strengthened Russia’s international stature?” Mr. McCain asked. “By allying Russia with some of the world’s most offensive and threatening tyrannies.” | He did not defend United States policies, but accused Mr. Putin of shielding the government of President Bashar al-Assad of Syria. “How has he strengthened Russia’s international stature?” Mr. McCain asked. “By allying Russia with some of the world’s most offensive and threatening tyrannies.” |
| Mr. McCain was not the first member of Congress to respond to Mr. Putin in the Russian news media. | Mr. McCain was not the first member of Congress to respond to Mr. Putin in the Russian news media. |
| On Monday, Kommersant, one of Russia’s most prominent daily newspapers, printed an open letter to the Russian people by Representative Steve Israel of New York, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. | On Monday, Kommersant, one of Russia’s most prominent daily newspapers, printed an open letter to the Russian people by Representative Steve Israel of New York, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. |
| In his letter, which he also published on his Web site, Mr. Israel explained in leveled language why he would potentially vote in favor of a military strike on Syria, although he praised Mr. Putin’s efforts to persuade Mr. Assad’s government to surrender its chemical weapons arsenal. | In his letter, which he also published on his Web site, Mr. Israel explained in leveled language why he would potentially vote in favor of a military strike on Syria, although he praised Mr. Putin’s efforts to persuade Mr. Assad’s government to surrender its chemical weapons arsenal. |
| “Diplomacy should always be the first preference,” Mr. Israel wrote. | “Diplomacy should always be the first preference,” Mr. Israel wrote. |