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Bush plans no apology to Russian prime minister

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January 6, 2001 

WASHINGTON, JAN 6 (AP) - President-elect George W. Bush will not apologize to the former Russian prime minister for alleging that he pocketed international aid, a spokesman said Friday.

"The president-elect made his statement. He's a plainspoken man and we consider the matter to be dealt with. He has said what he thinks," said press secretary Ari Fleischer.

Fleischer was responding to a report by the Russian news agency Tass, in which a counselor to former Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin said representatives for the two politicians have been negotiating some sort of Bush statement of regret.

Bush claimed during the Oct. 11 presidential debate and a discussion of U.S.-Russia policy that International Monetary Fund loans "ended up in Viktor Chernomyrdin's pocket and others."

IMF officials countered that they had no evidence of such a thing. Chernomyrdin threatened to sue Bush and demanded an apology.

Friday's Tass report suggested that the Bush camp was drafting a letter to Chernomyrdin, which Fleischer refuted.

"There is no letter," none expected, and no communication with Chernomyrdin's camp about any other form of apology, Fleischer said.

"There's nothing that's crossed my radar."