Powell Criticizes Kremlin Policies; Putin Dismisses Tough Editorial

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Byline: David R. Sands, THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell took an unexpected public swipe at Russia's domestic and foreign policy just before meeting with President Vladimir Putin yesterday, a sign that the Bush administration is adopting a tougher stance toward Moscow.

Mr. Powell, who met with Mr. Putin and senior Russian officials at the start of a brief Moscow stopover yesterday, wrote in a front-page editorial in the influential daily Izvestia that recent events have called into question the Kremlin's commitment to the rule of law, press freedoms and noninterference in the affairs of Russia's neighbors.

"Certain developments in …