Embattled Putin 'satisfied' after summit with tough-talking Bush

RUSSIA: President Vladimir Putin returned to Russia last night from Slovakia, declaring himself satisfied with his summit meeting with US President Bush but facing increasing opposition at home from liberals and dissatisfied voters, writes Daniel McLaughlin

Mr Putin endured one of his toughest days in five years in the Kremlin on Thursday when he fielded unusually stiff questions from Mr Bush on the state of Russian democracy, endured withering criticism from a former Russian prime minister and saw his embattled government descend into public squabbling.

"We are satisfied with the talks and their results. I believe our American partners would make the same assessment," Mr Putin said of his meeting with Mr Bush, striking a cheery note that was utterly at odds with his prickly demeanour after the summit.

While agreeing with Mr Bush to combat nuclear arms proliferation, strive for peace in the Middle East and strengthen co-operation in the energy sector, Mr Putin looked aggrieved by his US counterpart's public questioning of the Kremlin's attitude towards political opposition, free media and the rule of law.

Mr Bush's questions received possible answers on Thursday from Mikhail Kasyanov, a liberal whom Mr Putin sacked as prime minister a year ago.

Breaking a conspicuous media silence just as Mr Putin went into talks with the US leader, Mr Kasyanov insisted that an independent judiciary and media, a market economy and free business climate were vital if Russia was to become a true democracy.

"I have reached the view that not one of these values is being implemented or respected. The direction has changed. It's not the right one. The country is on the wrong track," he said.

Mr Kasyanov led the government for four years under Mr Putin's presidency, and before his dismissal was seen as the last survivor of a coterie of liberal politicians and businessmen who flourished during president Boris Yeltsin's rule in the 1990s.

Asked whether he would run for president in 2008 - when Mr Putin is constitutionally obliged to step down but is expected to name a favoured successor - Mr Kasyanov replied: "Anything is possible All democratic forces must unite."

Mr Putin replaced the urbane Mr Kasyanov with Mikhail Fradkov, a bland technocrat with a suspected KGB background, whose government has been lambasted for pushing through welfare reforms that brought thousands of pensioners on to the streets in protest and knocked the president's popularity ratings. On Thursday Mr Fradkov angrily accused the liberal economy minister, German Gref, of having "no plan of action", after Mr Gref said inflation was rising, the investment climate was miserable and vital reforms were mired in bureaucracy.

Mr Putin's mood will not have been lightened by news that two Russian youth groups, inspired by democracy activists that helped bring peaceful revolution to Georgia and Ukraine recently, have vowed to oppose him; or by a ruling from the European Court of Human Rights that Russia committed serious abuses, including the torture and killing of civilians, during military offensives against separatists in Chechnya.