> This action, coming only a week after the appointment of Vladmir Putin
> as Prime Minister of Russia, is significant. While there is no direct
> evidence linking Putin to the action, we believe he is the force
> behind it. There are less than a handful of people in the Russian
> government for whom the Swiss would freeze Berezovsky's accounts. One
> is Russian President Boris Yeltsin, but inasmuch as Berezovsky is
> Yeltsin's long-time ally and financier, it seems highly unlikely
> Yeltsin ordered the freeze. Yeltsin would not bite the hand that feeds
> him.
Meanwhile, Katrina vanden Heuvel, back from a trip to Russia, writes in this week's Nation:
>Gore is also exposed because of the timing of Russia's presidential
>election, scheduled for June 2000. If, as is widely believed in Moscow,
>Yeltsin and his inner circle (known as The Family) try to cancel or steal
>the election-as may be more likely now that former Prime Minister Yevgeny
>Primakov has lent his personal popularity to a powerful electoral
>coalition-it will further discredit the policies with which Gore is
>associated. And if the elections go ahead in a fair manner, anti-Yeltsin,
>possibly anti-American, forces may win.
>
>Certainly Yeltsin can be counted on to produce more political drama in the
>months to come. The appointment of the head of what was formerly the KGB,
>Vladimir Putin, as Prime Minister-and Yeltsin's anointed heir-is the most
>telling sign yet that the President and his inner circle are considering
>unconstitutional measures to cling to power. Among the measures widely
>discussed in Moscow are using the war in Dagestan as a pretext for imposing
>emergency rule or creating a union with Belarus that would lead to a new
>Constitution benefiting Yeltsin.
>
>What drives these scenarios is the most explosive factor in Kremlin
>politics today: the regime's fear of being held responsible for the
>collapse and looting of Russia. (In his announcement upon joining the
>coalition, Primakov offered immunity for Presidents after they leave
>office-an obvious allusion to this fear.) The Family is desperate to secure
>a friendly successor to ward off such retribution as corruption trials.
>Meanwhile, Swiss prosecutors are closing in on Yeltsin's entourage. The
>head of the Kremlin's Property Department, reported to control $600 billion
>worth of real estate, and twenty-two other top Yeltsin officials are under
>investigation for money laundering and other financial crimes. Members of
>Yeltsin's family may be implicated. Putin is the regime's man not only
>because he is tough-his willingness to intensify the war in the Caucasus is
>one test-but, more important, he may also be implicated in the corruption
>and thus have a personal stake in stopping any investigations.