During the Cold War, the ideological gulf between the US and Russia revolved around competing governments that split the world into communist and capitalist camps.
Today, as plainly revealed at a US-Russian summit on Thursday, nagging remnants of that gulf linger in the debate over how to define two, basic words: democracy and freedom.
The freedom and democracy that US President George W. Bush encouraged at his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin are broad ideals defined by his administration's zeal for spreading worldwide the US' views of government relations with religion, the press and human rights.
Putin, however, said democracy and freedom must be defined individually in the framework of every nation's history and needs.
Bush and Putin agreed not to let differences over definitions weaken their bilateral relationship, which they called strong and getting stronger. Deals signed at the summit will bring the two governments closer in the fight against terrorism, for example, and enhance their energy trade.
Yet the modern gulf could not be denied.
Before the summit started -- and while Putin was still en route to Bratislava -- Bush emphasized his views of freedom and democracy in a speech to thousands of Slovaks in a city square.
He named neither the Kremlin nor Russia, but Slovaks knew that he was talking about the Soviet Union's defeat when he praised Slovakia's victory over a tough communist regime 15 years ago.
"I've come here to thank you for your contribution to freedom's cause," he said.
Bush said "seeds of freedom" are now blowing around the world, and democracy was beginning to root in other former Soviet satellites such as Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova. It was a theme similar to his second inauguration speech last month.
Bush said all nations should embrace "freedom of speech, religion and association."
Putin's public chance to explain Russia's position didn't come until several hours later, while he stood beside Bush at a post-summit news conference. But he made no apologies.
"Russia chose democracy 14 years ago of its own accord and under no external pressure," he said. "This choice is final and there is no way back."
Putin said he and Bush "discussed these issues at length, face to face, just the two of us". Russia, he explained, is "committed to the principles of democracy" that apply according to "our history and traditions."
Russia's press is free, political opponents can voice their opinions and a US-style "electoral college" system will be employed in upcoming regional elections, which have been targeted by the Kremlin's critics, Putin insisted.
Yet he also said his country's forms of freedom and democracy were rightly controlled by a government, which in turn was bowing to the will of Russians who are not -- in a Putin reference to the nation's oligarchs -- "the rich."
"I am absolutely confident democracy is not anarchy," Putin said. "It is not the possibility to do anything you want."
At the same conference, Bush explained his position but treaded carefully when speaking about Russia's definitions of the words he repeatedly uses. He said summit topics included the protection of minorities, allowing a political opposition, supporting press freedom and other democracy issues.
The touchy subject was tackled "in a constructive and friendly way," he said, adding that Putin "has made big steps."
But after the summit, as Bush flew back to Washington, Putin prepared to meet Slovak leaders on Friday. His still had a day to put his own spin on definitions of freedom and democracy in Slovakia, a country under Moscow's thumb in Soviet times for 40 years that joined the US-led NATO alliance last year.
Congratulations to China’s working class — they have officially entered the “Livestock Feed 2.0” era. While others are still researching how to achieve healthy and balanced diets, China has already evolved to the point where it does not matter whether you are actually eating food, as long as you can swallow it. There is no need for cooking, chewing or making decisions — just tear open a package, add some hot water and in a short three minutes you have something that can keep you alive for at least another six hours. This is not science fiction — it is reality.
A foreign colleague of mine asked me recently, “What is a safe distance from potential People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Rocket Force’s (PLARF) Taiwan targets?” This article will answer this question and help people living in Taiwan have a deeper understanding of the threat. Why is it important to understand PLA/PLARF targeting strategy? According to RAND analysis, the PLA’s “systems destruction warfare” focuses on crippling an adversary’s operational system by targeting its networks, especially leadership, command and control (C2) nodes, sensors, and information hubs. Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of US Indo-Pacific Command, noted in his 15 May 2025 Sedona Forum keynote speech that, as
In a world increasingly defined by unpredictability, two actors stand out as islands of stability: Europe and Taiwan. One, a sprawling union of democracies, but under immense pressure, grappling with a geopolitical reality it was not originally designed for. The other, a vibrant, resilient democracy thriving as a technological global leader, but living under a growing existential threat. In response to rising uncertainties, they are both seeking resilience and learning to better position themselves. It is now time they recognize each other not just as partners of convenience, but as strategic and indispensable lifelines. The US, long seen as the anchor
Kinmen County’s political geography is provocative in and of itself. A pair of islets running up abreast the Chinese mainland, just 20 minutes by ferry from the Chinese city of Xiamen, Kinmen remains under the Taiwanese government’s control, after China’s failed invasion attempt in 1949. The provocative nature of Kinmen’s existence, along with the Matsu Islands off the coast of China’s Fuzhou City, has led to no shortage of outrageous takes and analyses in foreign media either fearmongering of a Chinese invasion or using these accidents of history to somehow understand Taiwan. Every few months a foreign reporter goes to
RSS