Washington to tone down criticism of Russian human rights record
— Daily Telegraph reports: “Washington will tone down its criticism of Russia’s human rights record in order to win Kremlin backing for possible sanctions against Iran, it has been claimed.”
— “Mrs Clinton’s trip was part of what Washington is calling a ‘reset’ with Moscow, a new more constructive relationship with the Kremlin that President Barack Obama wants to be based on pragmatism rather than the confrontation of the past.”
— “Michael McFaul, Mrs Clinton’s top Russia adviser, told Kommersant, an influential daily Russian newspaper, Washington was ready to dilute its criticism of Kremlin rights abuses.”
— “‘We have decided that we need a reset in this sphere and to scrap our previous approach,’ he said, adding that the US had decided it would no longer preach to Russia about democracy so as not to irritate Moscow.”
— “US officials said the newspaper had misinterpreted Mr McFaul’s remarks but human rights activists pleaded with Mrs Clinton not to downgrade human rights.
— “Oleg Orlov, head of rights group Memorial, said: ‘I told Clinton that for me the reset in Russian-American relations does not mean ending criticism of the human rights situation.'”