Vilnius reaction to Yeltsin's resignation is almost none

Jan 06, 2000
By Rokas M. Tracevskis

VILNIUS - The Lithuanian reaction to recent events in the Kremlin was
rather calm. On Dec. 31 Russian President Boris Yeltsin said in a
televised address he is stepping down. Current Prime Minister
Vladimir Putin was announced as replacement for three months,
according to the Russian constitution. He will run for president in
elections in March 26.

Lithuanian politicians and political observers say Yeltsin has
cleverly timed his farewell. Putin, a man of Yeltsin's "family" is
clearly the most popular Russian politician because of the war
against the small Chechen nation. The war is hugely unpopular in
Lithuania and other Western countries, but hugely popular in Russia.
Putin has great chances to win the presidential elections.

President Valdas Adamkus and former President Algirdas Brazauskas
commented on the changes in the Kremlin. The astonishing news from
the eastern capital reached both presidents while they celebrated New
Year's Eve. They had a glass of wine with Lithu-anian poets,
painters, theater directors, historians, philosophers and other
intellectuals. After this meeting, Adamkus and Bra-zaus-kas made
impromptu comments on the situation in Russia.

"It will influence international politics. Everybody will follow what
happens - will it be a radical change of policy or will Moscow's
policy remain the same. It was obvious that in recent years, Yeltsin
didn't make decisions on his own. Somebody behind his shoulders was
making decisions.

"The new president will be able to implement independent policy," said Adamkus.

"I had a lot of meetings with Yeltsin. Recently it was difficult to
work for him. He is seriously sick," Brazauskas said. "Putin is a man
of the new generation, and his policy will be different."

Just several hours after the historical news from Moscow, Vygaudas
Usackas, foreign deputy minister, said in an interview with National
Radio that good neighborly relations will continue between both
countries. At the same time, he accented the importance for Lithuania
to join NATO and get American security guarantees, because in
Lithuania's neighborhood, "Russia is not politically stable, nor is
the unpredictable and authoritarian government in Belarus."

Parliament Chairman Vytautas Landsbergis was not very fascinated with
new Russian President Putin.

"From now on, the power in Russia is in the hands of a single person
who is surrounded by a stronger than ever war party," said
Landsbergis on Jan. 3.

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