Putin era represents new kind of dictatorship, says Havel

The former Czech president Václav Havel has expressed strong criticism of the current regime in Russia in an interview for the newspaper Lidové noviny. Mr Havel said the era of President Vladimir Putin represented a new kind of dictatorship. He said Moscow was not opposed to a radar base the US wants to build in the Czech Republic in its own right, but disliked the fact the radar would be in a sphere where it believes it should make decisions. Regarding the positive position towards Russia adopted by the current Czech president, Václav Klaus, Mr Havel said there was no reason to have lunch with Mr Putin; on the contrary, difficult questions should be put to the Russian leader, he said.