Putin reaffirms commitment to democracy

Russia chose democracy 14 years ago, Putin said, and "there can be no return to what we used to have before."

In a joint news conference Thursday, Bush said he told Putin, "Strong countries are built by developing strong democracies."

The US president added, "I think Vladimir heard me loud and clear."

The two leaders talked for 2 1/2 hours in hopes of easing mounting distrust between Moscow and Washington.

Bush challenged Putin about his government's behavior, saying democracies reflect a country's customs and culture but must have "a rule of law and protection of minorities, a free press and a viable political opposition." He said he talked with Putin about his "concerns about Russia's commitment in fulfilling these universal principles" and about Putin's restrictions on the press.

"I'm not the minister of propaganda," Putin said, standing alongside Bush at a news conference.

They also confronted differences over Moscow's arms sales to Syria and Russia's help for Iran's nuclear program. While Bush tried to keep a smile on his face throughout the session with reporters, Putin seemed tense.

It was their first meeting since Bush opened his second term promising to spread democracy and freedom and asserting that relations with all leaders would be predicated on how they treat their people.

Putin compared his move to end direct popular election of regional governors to the American process of electing presidents through the Electoral College rather than by the results of the popular vote. "And it's not considered undemocratic, is it?" Putin said.

He suggested that Russians who oppose his actions, such as a campaign against the Yukos oil company and his shutdown of independent media outlets, can sway public opinion because they "are richer than those who are in favor."

"We often do not pay the attention to that," Putin said.

Bush was challenged by a Russian journalist who asked about "violations of the rights of journalists in the United States" without giving specifics.

"People do get fired in American press," the president said, adding that they get fired by editors or producers or others not by government.