Some experts believe that Moscow is ahead of Washington in the international arena. The press is particularly interested in the confrontation between Russia and the West in view of the NATO summit in Bucharest in early April that President Vladimir Putin is expected to attend. "Needless to say, Putin is going to Bucharest to engage in propaganda and to make new threats. This is easy for him because in a month he will occupy a different position. Bush cannot relax - he will be in office for another nine months... The Kremlin is willingly preparing for the summit because it has long understood Bush's determination to contribute to history. Bush continues to bark at the Moon - Condoleezza Rice and Robert Gates, who made an unplanned visit to Moscow as a goodwill gesture, had to leave empty-handed, and to the accompaniment of reprimands for forgetting to put their proposals on paper." (Pärnu Postimees, March 25).
The press is interpreting the growing pressure of Russian law-enforcement bodies on the Russian-UK company TNK-BP as one more attempt by the state to return a major private company to its sphere of influence. "The Kremlin intends to harness the last major joint venture, and establish what it considers proper control over a strategic company... Half of this oil firm belongs to BP and half to three Russian businessmen. The media are writing that Gazprom wants to buy the latter's share, and the current attack is designed to reduce the price." (Eesti Päevaleht, March 22).
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