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Article: WASHINGTON; U.S. Reluctant to Count Russian President Out
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- January 8, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
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Washington policymakers have concluded that Russian President
Boris Yeltsin's backing of the brutal military assault on Chechnya
has seriously weakened his presidency, but they have not begun major
planning for a post-Yeltsin era in Moscow, according to senior
administration officials.
The specter of Yeltsin's possible political downfall - either by
being ousted from office or marginalized in important deliberations
about Russia's future - caught Washington largely by surprise last
week. After tacitly supporting the war at first, the administration
was forced to shift gears abruptly when the fighting turned
unexpectedly sour for Yeltsin's military forces.
"Nobody knows where this is coming ...