May 8, 2005
Part II: Vladimir Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin Talks To Mike Wallace In An Exclusive Interview
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Play CBS Video Video Bush's Words For Putin The President is in Europe on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Nazis' defeat. Some of Mr. Bush's pointed comments on the subject of democracy have Vladimir Putin seeing red. Bill Plante reports.
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Video Evening News Online Friday: Tensions with Putin, tracing a WWII sketchbook and postal money order scam.
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Video Tensions With Putin As President Bush visits the Baltic-neighbor of Russia, Latvia, he is making requests of Vladimir Putin that are stressing the U.S.-Russian relationship, reports Bob Schieffer and Bill Plante.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin talks to Mike Wallace. (CBS)
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Fast Facts Russia Learn about the people, economy and history.
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Interactive The Electoral College Facts on America's system of choosing a president and vice president.
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Interactive Campaign 2004 Complete election recap – winners/losers, money, issues and more.
TRANSLATOR: Why do you think that we should always be copying the American experience, the American tradition?
WALLACE: And you don't need a Dick Cheney?
TRANSLATOR: Well, we have many people like him, and we regularly talk with them. You’ll notice that I recently visited the Middle East and as part of our delegation I brought along Mr. Primakov because he has dedicated a significant part of his life to studying the Middle East.
WALLACE: Right.
TRANSLATOR: We don't lack in experts whose experience we can rely on.
WALLACE: President Bush is meeting with the Baltic leaders on his trip here for the celebration. He'll also visit the Republic of Georgia. Do you wish that President Bush were not making these stops? Wish that he might or would stay out of what you consider Russia's sphere of influence?
TRANSLATOR: You are absolutely wrong. Not so. The former Soviet Union republics are now independent states. Remember the Berlin Wall and the liberation of Eastern Europe, which provided independence to the former Soviet Union republics? That was possible due to internal changes in the Russian Federation and changes in our foreign policy.
Those countries can and should develop relationships with all the countries in the world, and we would never tell the President of the United States where to go and where not to go. But I sincerely hope that the President, in his talks with his counterparts in the Baltic states, will use his influence to make the policies of those states more in line with contemporary standards of international humanitarian law, including those aspects that pertain to the national minorities, the ethnic minorities.
WALLACE: Neither--
TRANSLATOR: In Rego, for instance, 60 percent of the population is Russian speaking. There are over one million of Russian-speaking persons, and 460,000 of them are so-called non-citizens. That is absolutely unacceptable in the modern world, because those people are lacking elementary, basic political rights. We hope that the president of the United States will use influence to put the problems of the past in the past.
WALLACE: The Baltic states are not here this weekend, right? They're not coming?
TRANSLATOR: Well, according to my information, the president of Latvia is planning to come.
WALLACE: Estonia?
TRANSLATOR: The presidents of Estonia and Lithuania, as far I know, will not be coming. I think this is a mistake.
WALLACE: In English, what would you like to say to the American people? Or to George Bush?
TRANSLATOR: George Bush? I'll have the privilege of hosting him here in my house.
WALLACE: This weekend?
TRANSLATOR: Yes, and to practice my English with him. As for speaking to the American people--
WALLACE: Yes. In English.
TRANSLATOR: We have great respect toward the American people --
WALLACE: No, no, no. In English.
TRANSLATOR: I want to say a lot, really, but I am afraid to offend Americans with my improper pronunciation.
WALLACE: Don't worry about it.
TRANSLATOR: And at the conclusion I would like to say only one thing.
PRES. PUTIN (WITHOUT TRANSLATOR): All the best to every family in America.
WALLACE: All the best to you too, sir. And thank you for speaking with us.
Return to Part I of Mike Wallace's interview with Vladimir Putin.
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