VOLZHSKY UTYOS, Russia – President Vladimir Putin, emboldened by Russia’s vast oil and gas wealth, bluntly rejected European criticism of his crackdown on political foes, saying Friday that “like it or not” Russia’s Western neighbors would have to accept it as a partner.
His remarks came hours after police prevented chess great Garry Kasparov from attending an opposition rally in Samara, near the Volga River resort where Putin held a summit with European Union leaders.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the current EU president, objected at a post-summit news conference to the treatment of Kasparov and other Kremlin opponents, while Putin sought to take the subject of Russian political rights off the table.
“Both Russia and the EU are interested in the development of relations with each other, and they will develop whether we like it or not,” the Russian leader said, in an apparent reference to Europe’s growing reliance on Russia for its energy needs.
Putin questioned whether Europe was really concerned about the human rights records of its allies – citing the alleged abuse of terror suspects at the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Putin’s remarks signal that he sees no need to mollify foreign critics of his political course, which opponents say has concentrated power in the Kremlin and muzzled dissent.
Before the summit, Germany asked Russia to permit opposition leaders to protest in Samara. But on Friday morning, police at a Moscow airport confiscated the passports and tickets of Kasparov and other activists and prevented them from flying to Samara.
The passports were held for five hours, until the day’s last flight to Samara had left, a Kasparov spokesman said.
The former world chess champion said the West’s efforts to engage Putin only lends legitimacy to the Kremlin’s actions. “Any time you pretend that Putin is one of you, that Putin belongs to this democratic club, it backfires on us because that is what Kremlin propaganda is using on us, calling us marginals, extremists, radicals,” he said.
Merkel complained about the treatment of opposition protesters.
“I’m concerned about some people having problems traveling here,” she said. “I hope they will be given an opportunity to express their opinion.”
Putin said his government is not concerned about the so-called “Dissenters’ Marches,” staged by a coalition of opposition groups led by Kasparov. Several of the protests have been brutally dispersed by police.
“They don’t bother me in any way,” Putin said. He blamed some of the violence on demonstrators, who “provoke law enforcement forces to use force, and they respond accordingly.”
Unlike previous protests organized by Kasparov and his allies, Friday’s march in Samara won approval by local authorities. But after the detention of several of the organizers, only about 100 protesters showed up Friday.
Demonstrators gathered at a square in the late afternoon, outnumbered by police, and marched through the streets shouting, “Russia without Putin!” and “We need another Russia.”
Answering Merkel’s criticism, Putin said German police have also detained protesters. “Law enforcement authorities in practically all countries make preventive arrests, there are examples in Germany,” he said. “Such action isn’t always justified.”
Merkel shot back, saying that police action against participants in violent riots could be justified. “If a person hasn’t done anything yet, if he’s just on his way to a demonstration, that’s a completely different case,” she said.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said democracy and rule of law are “sacred principles for the EU.”
“It’s very important for all European countries, and Russia is a European country, … to ensure the full respect of those principles and values,” he said.
But Barroso also reaffirmed the EU’s support for Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization – a statement that appeared to reflect a softening of Brussels’ stance after recent warnings from the EU that Moscow’s candidacy was in jeopardy.
But there were glimmers of agreement. Putin and the EU leaders pointed to progress in trade and economic ties and plans for future cooperation. They also pledged to extend EU-Russia work on cross-border trade, visa issues, and scientific and technical cooperation.
“We need each other; we are open for an honest dialogue between Russia and the EU,” Putin said. “It’s totally wrong to say we couldn’t agree on a single issue.”
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