Only time will tell

At a meeting today sponsored by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, Daniel Fried, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasia Affairs, spoke on the potential actions of the new Medvedev administration.

Dmitri Medvedev took office Wednesday as Russia’s third president. Medvedev officially elected Vladimir Putin as prime minister. Fried discussed the future actions of the United States in reference to the new administration and discussed what changes could occur.

Fried stressed that the United States actions towards the new Administration would remain the same as it has been in the past, and that the U.S. would negotiate with Russia when “interests and principles overlap.”

Concerns were raised about the abuses of the democratic system, the restrictions on the political debate during the campaign season, and the civil liberties and human rights issues that the Russian government has been dealing with, as well as the Russian government’s interactions with Georgia and Ukraine.

When asked whether or not he felt Medvedev will take the country in a new direction or work under the same constraints as Putin, Fried said, “only time will tell.” But he expressed hopes that the new administration would be more supportive of Ukraine and Georgia’s efforts to join NATO and let them determine their own future.