International Herald Tribune: U.S. senators criticize Russia's president as "one-man dictatorship"
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U.S. senators criticize Russia's president as "one-man dictatorship"
WASHINGTON: Two U.S. senators on Sunday criticized Russia's president, with a leading Republican calling Vladimir Putin a "one-man dictatorship" who should be doing more to help the United States confront Iran's nuclear ambitions. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden both said the United States should stand up to Putin, reflecting U.S. concerns over democratic backsliding by the Kremlin and energy-rich Russia's increasingly assertive steps to counter American influence.
Graham, referring to President George W. Bush's 2001 statement that he got a sense of Putin's soul during their first meeting, said: "I think Bush misread his soul. I think this guy is taking Russia backward. He's a problem, not a solution, to most of the world's problems. He could help us with Iran if he chose to. He is becoming basically a one-man dictatorship in Russia. And we need to be tough with him."
