    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book I)]
    [June 17, 1995]
    [Pages 903-904]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With President Boris
    Yeltsin of Russia in Halifax
    June 17, 1995

        Q. Mr. President, let me ask you a question. Are you now changing
    your mind as to the people against whom Mr. Yeltsin is waging a war when
    you learn what's going on in Budennovsk? That's Russian Television News
    question.
        President Yeltsin. In the first place, I would like to say that my
    friend Bill has never wavered in his opinion. He has always supported
    and is supporting Russia and President Yeltsin.
        I would like to say that the storming of the hospital is continuing,
    that we have liberated 200 hostages, and the operation is going on. I am
    in contact, in constant contact with our commanders who command our
    special forces who stormed the hospital, and I am in full control of the
    situation.
        Taking this example, you should judge for yourselves that Chechnya
    today is the center of world terrorism, of bribery and corruption and
    mafia. We couldn't act otherwise. We had to destroy those terrorists and
    bandits.
        Well, not all in the world understood this situation correctly, and
    perhaps not all of the mass media understood correctly. But I am very
    glad that my friend Bill understood me correctly and, nonetheless,
    always defended his position no matter what happened.
        I just have to say that our state Dumas, as a matter of fact, today
    has made the decision to have the President go back, come back home and
    make a visit to Budennovsk. I think, therefore, that this is a bad
    mistake, a bad move on their part because now I, myself, become a
    hostage to these very same bandits by having to go back there.
        And moreover, I have to say that after my discussion yesterday--and
    I once again reiterated that today to our partners in the G-7 and told
    them what kind of people we're dealing with, what kind of horrible
    criminals with black bands on their foreheads--they now much better
    understand that this is really the only way that we can deal with these
    criminal elements. They really now understand much more.
        Dear journalists, Bill and I accumulated a whole host of very
    important issues--global issues, not some internal Russian disputes and
    issues or internal American problems. These are really serious,
    overwhelming global issues. And therefore, I say, we've got to go.
        Thank you, and goodbye.
        Q. President Clinton, do you agree with what he said about your
    position?
        President Clinton. Well, let me tell you what my position is. First
    of all, it is true that the United States has always said that Chechnya
    was a part of Russia and was ultimately a problem that had to be
    resolved by the people of your nation, consistent with your
    constitutional laws.
        It is also true that we believe that terrorism everywhere is wrong,
    that terrorism in the Middle East is wrong, that people blowing up our
    Federal building in Oklahoma City is wrong, and people taking over a
    hospital in your country and killing innocent civilians is wrong, and
    has to be resisted strong.
        But I also subscribe to the position taken by the G-7 that sooner or
    later--better sooner than later--the cycle of violence has to be broken.
    And ultimately, in any democracy, there has to be a political solution
    to people's differences. And so that is what we have urged.
        President Yeltsin and I have had several conversations about this.
    When I was in Moscow, I said that I understood it was a terribly
    difficult situation for Russia but that the United States

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    believed that ultimately in any democracy, all decisions were finally
    resolved in a political manner in a way that would permit the cycle of
    violence to be broken.
        So that is our position. It is still our position. And we hope that
    it will become more possible now. But nothing--nothing--can justify this
    outrageous act at your hospital and innocent people being killed. It's
    just wrong.
        I want to mention one other issue because it won't be in the
    headlines, but it's terribly important. When President Yeltsin and I
    were together in Moscow for the anniversary of the end of World War II,
    we talked about the problem of nuclear security. And I told him then I
    thought it was very important that we work closely together on the
    problem of nuclear security, not just in Russia but in other countries
    where this is an issue, and on the problem of nuclear smuggling, because
    with so many terrorist groups around the world, we don't want small-
    scale nuclear weapons being added to their already impressive arsenals.
        So when he came to this meeting, President Yeltsin suggested that we
    have a summit next year in Moscow dealing with these issues and
    involving many, many countries that have this problem. And I think we
    all agree. We think it's a very constructive suggestion. And we believe
    that, together, by next year we can make some real progress in making
    the world more secure for this problem in reducing the likelihood of
    nuclear smuggling and, ultimately, the likelihood of these small-scale
    weapons being used to further the cause of terrorism.
        So that is one of the positive things that came out of this summit,
    from my point of view, along with the agreement we all made to work
    together more closely in fighting terrorism and the agreement we made to
    try to prevent further Mexican crisis and continued reform of the
    international financial institutions.
        So from my point of view, this has been a very successful meeting. I
    know that the problem in Chechnya is occupying everyone's attention. The
    gripping scene at the hospital must have a hold on the imagination of
    the Russian people, very much like the explosion in Oklahoma City had on
    our people. And we join the Russian people in condemning terrorism in
    the strongest possible terms.
        But we hope that in the end all the people of Russia, including the
    people in Chechnya, can be reconciled so that your democracy can
    flourish everywhere and the cycle of violence can be broken. And that is
    our prayer, and that is our policy.
        Thank you very much.

    Note: The exchange began at 2:49 p.m. in the Cavalier Room at the
    Citadel Hotel. President Yeltsin spoke in Russian, and his remarks were
    translated by an interpreter. A tape was not available for verification
    of the content of this exchange.