Meanwhile, efforts by Western leaders to coerce Russia to change its policies are not only ineffective but are actually counterproductive, he warned. Instead, the greater the pressure, the greater the resistance. And comments such as those by U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, calling for an end to the fighting in Chechnya, only make it more difficult for those within Russia who oppose the government's current policy. Indeed, Arbatov took particular exception to Albright's comments during a visit to Moscow this week. When she comes and lectures us about the use of force, it's seen as a deliberate provocation.
Russian policy postulates the inviolability of the ABM treaty.
Arbatov said Russia is committed to Chechnya remaining part of the Federation and that popular support for the war remains strong, despite reports of increased casualties. He said the government hopes that once the fighting has ended, Russia will be able to win the support of the local population by providing humanitarian assistance and establishing law and order within the republic. Paul Tooher is the assistant managing editor for the Providence Journal in Providence, R.I., and the interim editor of the Global Beat Syndicate . Unlike the 1997 Concept, the new edition doesn't mention such a national security challenge as nuclear terrorism. This is strange, taking into account that provisions concerning terrorism on the whole have been enlarged.