The West should take a considerable share of the blame for the lack of observance of human rights and democratic norms in Russia. At the beginning, the West made significant efforts towards improving life in Russia (then part of the Soviet Union). Ronald Reagan as President of the United States made a particularly noteworthy contribution to this effort. This was welcomed by the reforming wing of the Soviet leadership (Gorbachev and, in particular, Shevardnadze and Yakovlev) who interpreted it as help for their democratic initiatives. [Read more]