Putin's Plea - Sampling the Reviews - NYTimes.com Re "A Plea for Caution From Russia," by Vladimir V. Putin (Op-Ed, Sept. After having served 16 years as a K.G.B. officer, President Putin knows which buttons to push to get our attention. And although his request for calm and caution from the United States may be totally disingenuous, his recommendation that we exercise caution makes sense. It seems prudent for the United States to give Syria a very limited amount of time to show either that it is serious about handing over its chemical weapons or that it is not. In the interim our military and the Obama administration can continue to prepare for an attack while hoping that they never have to execute it. America is exceptional in many ways, but sending cruise missiles into Syria hardly seems like the best way to show it. Mr. Putin loves center stage. If he can solve the Syrian problem peacefully, thus obviating the need for us to act militarily, permitting him to prance in the spotlight will be a small price to pay. Drawing Russia onto the world stage as a responsible power is not such a bad idea either. DAVID KUZIEMKO Sterling Heights, Mich., Sept. If Vladimir V. Putin is sincere, he can promote "caution" if he promptly takes these steps: ■ Refrain from absurd denials about Syrian government involvement in the chemical weapons attacks. ■ Replace obstruction with cooperation on an enforceable Security Council resolution to identify any chemical weapons, put them under international control and ensure their destruction. ■ Assure that Syria signs the Chemical Weapons Convention now. If Mr. Putin does not take these basic measures, his plea amounts to little more than an excuse for stalling, diversion and appeasement. I hope that President Obama gives serious consideration to Vladimir V. Putin's Op-Ed article. Mr. Putin clearly offers a way to a "détente" of sorts, and maybe not only on Syria. And our president would be wise to meet him halfway. Born and raised in the former Soviet Union, I have no illusion about Mr. Putin, who had called the demise of the Soviet Union the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century," and who has demonstrated in his domestic policy that his old Soviet habits die hard. But if we recall Nixon in China and similar historical precedents, we ought to overlook all the peripheral minuses and grab the real big plus here. It is stunning that President Vladimir V. Putin has the audacity to write about freedom, democracy and equality. Mr. Putin is responsible for some of the most repressive antigay laws in the world. He has orchestrated mass arrests and crackdowns on ordinary protesters. While he may be attempting to come across as sensible on these issues, his record in Russia speaks volumes, and in this case taking what he says with a grain of salt would be generous. For Vladimir V. Putin, just two thoughts: Can I publish an opinion critical of you in Moscow's most prominent daily? Just F.Y.I., my grandparents did not flee the United States for Russia.