Western Powers and Japan Take Yeltsin’s Side
Western powers and Japan rallied around Russian President Boris N. Yeltsin on Wednesday, supporting his decision to dissolve the Soviet-era Parliament and call new elections.
“Now is the moment for the rest of the world to make it absolutely clear that they support the continuation of this reform process and do not support any attempts to knock it off course,” British Prime Minister John Major said.
French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur also supported Yeltsin’s decision, saying, “One of the criteria of democracy is free elections.”
German Chancellor Helmut Kohl released a strong statement lauding Yeltsin. Kohl’s spokesman, Dieter Vogel, said, “Now is the time to show loyalty to the democratically elected president of Russia.” Germany has given more financial support than any other country to Russia under Yeltsin.
Japan’s Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa said his government “has consistently supported President Yeltsin’s efforts for democratization and a market economy, and we plan to continue our support.”
Italy, Turkey, Poland and the leaders of former Soviet republics also backed Yeltsin.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
