RUSSIA: Russia dismisses Wikileaks claims of alleged political corruption

Record ID: 755728

  • Title: RUSSIA: Russia dismisses Wikileaks claims of alleged political corruption
  • Date: 3rd December 2010
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (DECEMBER 2, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF KREMLIN LOBBY OF CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL PEACE CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT ANALYST, NIKOLAI PETROV, ENTERING CONFERENCE ROOM (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIKOLAI PETROV, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT ANALYST, SAYING: "When Russians will feel humiliated and will feel that this is not the truth - that this is perhaps part of the truth but not the whole thing, and this shows very negative attitude towards Russia and not only towards Russia but to Belorussia, Ukraine and Chechnya were mentioned." VARIOUS OF PETROV SEATED IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIKOLAI PETROV, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT ANALYST, SAYING: "I don't think that those leaks which are already here will somehow damage Putin's position. And it seems to me that last night while speaking to Larry King, Putin was pretty much, well, natural and, well, he was right when saying that, well, there is not a catastrophe except perhaps for the United States and American diplomacy." PETROV BEING INTERVIEWED (SOUNDBITE) (English) NIKOLAI PETROV, CARNEGIE ENDOWMENT ANALYST, SAYING: "I am not waiting for any real serious damage. And it's pretty hard to damage Russian image in the world. It's already not very good and this new information doesn't add anything." VARIOUS OF MOSCOW STREETS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) IGOR, SAYING: "No, well, if someone says something. A lot of people say something - they say all sorts of things about each other, but I don't know what kind of affect that will have. I don't know how that will influence anything." IGOR AND FRIEND WALKING DOWN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) MUSCOVITE PAVEL IVANICH, SAYING: "It's for Americans more than for us, really, all those publications on the internet. So, well, our image is not very good anyway, so it won't get any worse." VARIOUS POLICE OFFICER ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 18th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA79JD6ZMXHA3HOGJTSVWHRIWJ2
  • Story Text: Russia dismisses accusation made by WikiLeaks calling the country a ''virtual mafia state" and run by alleged political corruption.
    A spokesman for Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin dismissed all claims made by WikiLeaks on Thursday (December 2) on political corruption.
    In alleged leaked diplomatic cables to WikiLeaks, Russia is called a "virtual mafia state", and Putin accused of amassing illicit proceeds from his time in office.
    While the Russian government may be dismissing the claims, Russian people don't believe their country's image can get any worse on an international scale.
    According to local Russian analysts, the recent alleged leaks, intercepted from Spanish prosecutor Jose Gonzalez's briefing for U.S. officials, could be seen as harsh and offensive to Russia and its neighbours.
    "When Russians will feel humiliated and will feel that this is not the truth - that this is perhaps part of the truth but not the whole thing, and this shows very negative attitude towards Russia and not only towards Russia but to Belorussia, Ukraine and Chechnya were mentioned," said Carnegie Endowment analyst, Nikolai Petrov.
    WikiLeaks cables claim that papers allegedly from the U.S. Foreign Service cast "alpha-dog" Putin as Russia's paramount leader, presiding over a system where greed and oil money decide everything. According to the alleged documents, laws mean nothing and U.S. diplomats are speculative over Putin's personal wealth and repeat Moscow rumours that the former KGB spy has assets abroad and links to Russia's lucrative oil export trade.
    Prime minister Putin has denied the accusations. The negative rumours are seen as unlikely to harm Putin's position, even in light of upcoming 2012 presidential elections. "I don't think that those leaks which are already here will somehow damage Putin's position. And it seems to me that last night while speaking to Larry King, Putin was pretty much, well, natural and, well, he was right when saying that, well, there is not a catastrophe except perhaps for the United States and American diplomacy," Petrov commented.
    According to Petrov, the claims made by WikiLeaks are nothing that Russia hasn't seen before. "I am not waiting for any real serious damage. And it's pretty hard to damage Russian image in the world. It's already not very good and this new information doesn't add anything," Petrov said.
    Others in Moscow seem to agree that the new round of rumours flying would not have a large negative impact on Russia's internal affairs.
    "A lot of people say something - they say all sorts of things about each other, but I don't know what kind of affect that will have. I don't know how that will influence anything," said Igor on a central Moscow street.
    Muscovite Pavel Ivanich also dismissed the WikiLeaks claims saying "It's for Americans more than for us, really, all those publications on the internet. So, well, our image is not very good anyway, so it won't get any worse."
    Putin's spokesman on Thursday told Reuters the claims are "simply ridiculous" and the U.S. diplomatic cables were based on unverified rumours.
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