Bush is travelling to Russia to for the 60th anniversary of V-E Day on Monday. I almost used the word “celebrate” in there, but that would not be enirely accurate. Verbal sparring has edged its way up between the United States and Russia, as President Bush and Putin insist upon different views of the Soviet occupation of Eastern Europe. President Bush has tried to set the record to that Soviet occupation tyrannical and that Russia needs to work toward democracy. Putin has pressed that while Stalin was a tyrant, the Soviet Union did Eastern Europe a great justice by liberating them.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has praised the Soviet Union’s heroic actions in hastening the end of World War II, in a pointed rebuttal to critics who say the Kremlin was responsible for decades of oppression that followed the war across eastern Europe.

Taking part in the opening of a new war memorial at Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow Saturday, Mr. Putin said the Soviet people “liberated 11 European states” in the course of their war against Nazi Germany.

In Mr. Putin’s words, “Never before had the world seen such mass heroism” as the Soviet Union displayed in the battles that shattered the Nazis’ military machine.

This is, of course, is absolutely true. Where the record goes wrong is at the occupation. Putin has said that the Soviet Union was welcomed by lands such as the Baltics to occupy those territories, whereas the Baltics have disputed this. Estonia and Lithuania are refusing to attend V-E Day celebrations because of this, and Latvia will be taking the opportunity to speak about the annexation. President Bush is also expected to speak to Putin about the occupation, as well as the progress of democracy in the region with regards to the Baltics, Belarus, and Russia itself. But before arriving in Russia, President Bush visited Latvia to herald their newfound freedom. I just got done watching the press conference about an hour ago. Here’s what happened.

RIGA, Latvia May 7, 2005 ???????? President Bush on Saturday saluted fledgling democracies in three ex-Soviet republics, saying America will never forget the communist oppression they endured for half a century.

“We recognize your painful history,” Bush said after meeting with the leaders of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia.

His visit here, on his way to Moscow where he will mark the 60th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany, has rankled Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Bush called the Baltics “incredibly important symbols of what freedom can mean to this neighborhood.”

He called for free elections, set for next year, in the former Soviet republic of Belarus, the last remaining dictatorship in Europe.
…
Bush’s stop here prompted a letter of protest from Moscow, which was upset that the president was visiting both Latvia and Georgia during his European trip. Asked about criticism that the United States is meddling in Russia’s backyard, Bush said freedom is a universal right.

“The idea of countries helping others become free, I hope that would be viewed as not revolutionary, but rational foreign policy, as decent foreign policy, as humane foreign policy,” Bush said.

“I will continue to speak as clearly as I can to President Putin that it’s in his country’s interests that there be democracies on his borders.”

Bush also said he understands the lingering resentment against Russia among people in the Baltic nations.

As the article notes, Putin is visibly displeased with these visits to Latvia and soon Georgia. To note, no U.S. president has ever visited Georgia before, so this is breaking ground diplomacy in the region occuring now. So though these countries may be in Russia’s geographic backyard, they have much more in common with the United States, its foreign policy, and its ideals than Russia and even Western Europe ever could. The Baltics are incredibly eager to show what they’re made of, to make good lives for their citizens at home, and be respected abroad. They have mine, certainly, and it strikes me as rather asinine that Putin would suggest complete complacency with regards to the Soviet occupation. For example, the Soviet Union famously invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968 when it began preparations for reform. Obviously, they weren’t going to just pack up and leave Latvia, Lithuania, or Estonia when asked politely.

What we’re seeing here is the obvious degradation of diplomatic relations between Washington and the Kremlin, slow as it may be. Some TV pundits have called Putin, to paraphrase, very upfront with the way he speaks. But this is also true for Bush of late. This talk of freedom and democracy on such a large scale is absolutely unprecedented when you consider how politically measured most talks are. No doubt, Bush and Putin are very frank with each other, something that Bush has said he appreciates. Behind these niceties, however, agendas are conflicting and, unless Bush can educate Putin to the merits of free markets and democratic institutions, the two are headed in different directions. It will be interesting to see what happens on Monday, and with Secretary Rice’s recent tour of Latin America, I wouldn’t be surprised if he asks about the arms deals with Venezuela as well.

UPDATE: Just noticed that Daniel also has a post on the press conference. We should have organized a club for watching this!