Neighbors Blast Vote to Revive Soviet Union

MOSCOW — Georgian President Eduard A. Shevardnadze snubbed Russian Communist lawmakers Tuesday and called for an emergency regional summit to ward off “the dangers of totalitarianism” posed by a parliamentary effort to resurrect the Soviet Union.

Ukrainian President Leonid D. Kuchma likewise blasted the Russian Duma’s decision to nullify the old empire’s breakup as a threatening action by the Communist-led lower house that will intensify East European countries’ desire to join NATO.

Leaders of former Soviet republics from Armenia to the Baltics vehemently denounced the Russian legislative action as aggressive, unlawful and politically disruptive.

Even the Duma’s colleagues from the upper house, or Federation Council, warned the Communist and nationalist deputies who backed the resolution that it could undermine the credibility of Russia’s new governing structures and lead to the postponement of the June 16 presidential election.

For a symbolic move intended to fan Russian nostalgia for the perceived glory days of the Soviet Union, Friday’s vote by the Duma to annul the 1991 agreement disbanding the old federation has spread discord among those it ostensibly aims to reunite.

It has also provoked concern outside the former Soviet Union. U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher commented during a visit to Ukraine on Tuesday that the Duma vote was “highly irresponsible” and promised Ukrainian leaders that the United States will back their independence and sovereignty even if Russia’s Communists win in June and try to reestablish the Soviet Union.

Christopher said the Russian lawmakers seemed to be trying to intimidate Ukraine and the other former Soviet republics.

“Last week’s vote in the Russian Duma to reconstitute the Soviet Union was highly irresponsible,” Christopher said in a joint appearance with Kuchma. “It was as disturbing to us as I am sure it was for Ukraine.”

Kuchma said the Duma’s action could have a psychological impact. “Ukraine requires political stability as never before,” Kuchma said. “The decision in Russia is not important from a legal or juridical point of view. But it is too important from a social or political point of view just to ignore it.”

While the Duma’s seemingly powerless gesture has stirred controversy near and far, it has also bolstered the fortunes of President Boris N. Yeltsin in his uphill battle for reelection.

Squabbling reformers and democrats have spoken with one voice in denouncing the Duma action as shameless populism, providing the first common ground for an anti-Communist coalition since the presidential contest began last month.

Most pro-reform forces have yet to openly back Yeltsin, but the Duma action has spurred leaders across a broad swath of the political spectrum to point to the vote as proof of the risks entailed for Russia and its neighbors should Communist Party leader Gennady A. Zyuganov beat the incumbent in the race for head of state.

Liberal economist Grigory A. Yavlinsky dismissed the legislation as “meaningless, both legally and practically,” and Moscow Mayor Yuri M. Luzhkov, another democrat often at odds with Yeltsin, denounced it as “state sabotage.”

Shevardnadze, formerly Soviet foreign minister and now leader of his native Georgia, abruptly canceled a meeting with Duma Chairman Gennady N. Seleznyov planned as part of his state visit here, which began Tuesday.

“Extraordinary measures should be taken in this situation,” Shevardnadze told reporters, referring to the Duma vote he said had caused “profound concern” throughout the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The CIS is a weak alliance of 12 of the 15 former Soviet republics. The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have refused to join.

Seleznyov brushed off the snub, telling journalists that Shevardnadze and other leaders of former Soviet republics were dancing to the Russian president’s tune “as they always did earlier when they were members of the [Soviet] Politburo.”

Seleznyov also warned that Shevardnadze may regret his “bad diplomacy” if the Duma refuses to ratify Georgian-Russian accords signed during his visit.

But Seleznyov’s sarcastic allusion to his own Communist Party’s past dominance over other union republics and his hint of political retaliation did little to alter the impression that the Duma’s populist gesture has badly backfired.

Ukrainian leader Kuchma’s warning that the Duma action could accelerate the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization reflected what may have been a major oversight by the Communist deputies: a failure to realize that the move could repel neighboring republics and send them running for Western cover.

Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny M. Primakov, who enjoys more respect from the Communists than other members of Yeltsin’s Cabinet, has also criticized the Duma vote as likely to rekindle fears of an aggressive Russia in the region referred to here as “the near abroad.”

Yeltsin’s spokesman described the legislative action as illegal and counterproductive.

“They did not foresee the impact the denunciation of the [dissolution agreement] may have on them,” Sergei K. Medvedev said at a briefing, joking that the Duma was failing to measure up to its name, which in Russian means both “council” and “thought.”

Yeltsin himself had asked the Federation Council to demand revocation or revision of the Duma resolution, and the more servile upper house complied by urging the Communist-controlled lower house “to thoroughly review once again the possible consequences.”

If the Duma refuses to back off from the legislation, the council can appeal to the Constitutional Court for a ruling on the legality of the lower house’s action.

Times staff writer Norman Kempster in Kiev, Ukraine, contributed to this report.