I made a choice in favor of freedom and democracy, which was bound to lead to the abolition of the monopoly [on power] held by the party, to political pluralism. It was bound to lead to political reforms [and] reforms of property. But this is a very complicated process, especially here. And what is happening now is bad …
I would say [the cold war actually ended] in ‘89, maybe even before ‘89–the movement started already then. The atmosphere became different, international relations were no longer ideological …
Everybody [in the United States], even my friend George Bush, thinks that it was a happy moment that fell from the sky when the Soviet Union broke up. OK, it happened. But now Russia wants to be free, democratic, market-oriented, open to other nations. That is what the world needs. The people who live here can endure the kind of things the American would not be able to endure. They will endure it, and they will eventually rise. So I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to all the Americans and ask them to understand Russia. It’s not a poor country, but it is in this cycle now, and it needs help to overcome it.
[With the right reforms in 1991,] the union could have been preserved. And it would have been better for Russia, for other nations, for Europe and the world. But, as they say, history doesn’t know the subjunctive mood.
