“Washington and Russia to struggle for democracy together” – Obama

Washington is prepared to join forces with Russia to promote democracy, human rights and the rule of law worldwide, President Obama has said in an interview with Russia’s Novaya Gazeta newspaper on the eve of his visit.

The paper hits the news-stands on Monday as Obama arrives.

News agency Reuters has a sneak preview of the interview, quoting Obama as saying that all steps are part of the ‘reset’ process in renewing US-Russian relations.

Answering a question about the paper’s murdered journalist, Anna Politkovskaya, Obama said that corruption would never win.

However, he’s somewhat critical of the new prosecution of jailed former oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Obama said the Russian authorities “are putting old charges in a new package” for the second prosecution of the former head of the Yukos oil company.

Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who’s currently on trial, is already serving a jail sentence.