Wright Wants Cutoff of Soviet Aid to Nicaragua

House Speaker Jim Wright said Sunday that it is “high time” for the United States to press the Soviet Union to cut off military aid to the Sandinistas.

“I think it’s something we should demand, and I think it’s something that must be forthcoming,” said the Texas Democrat, who suggested that President Reagan and Administration officials discuss the issue in upcoming meetings with Soviet leaders.

But Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, while demanding that the United States end its support of the Contras, ruled out any quick cessation of Soviet aid to his country unless the United States and Nicaragua can settle their differences with face-to-face negotiations.

Ortega added that outside military assistance to any of the five Central American “sovereign states” is permitted under the regional peace plan signed by the presidents of the five nations last August.

Ready to Compromise

In another development, Wright, who is to begin talks today with congressional Republicans over new U.S. non-military assistance for the Contras, indicated that he is ready to compromise on a key issue that has bitterly divided the two sides.

During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” the Speaker agreed to the Reagan Administration’s longstanding demand for an expedited vote by Congress on new aid to the Contras, should the current peace talks break down.

“I don’t think there is any problem with that,” Wright said, provided that Congress can amend the proposal to specify the kind of aid that would be allowed. Earlier, Reagan had requested a strict up-or-down vote by Congress on a package of military aid to the rebels. That proposal was defeated, ending all Contra aid as of Feb. 29.

The divisive Contra aid issue appeared to enter a new phase last week, when the rebels and the Sandinistas stunned the White House and many in Congress by signing a preliminary cease-fire pact and fixing a schedule for talks on a permanent end to the war.

Wright Rejects Criticism

On Sunday, Wright rejected criticism that the Contras had agreed to the cease-fire because Congress had cut off their military aid. The agreement came about, he said, because both sides had grown weary of war.

But Reagan Administration officials and Contra leaders challenged that view, blaming Congress for greatly weakening the rebels just before the Sandinistas launched a major military offensive against them two weeks ago.

“The freedom fighters (Contras) were cut off by Congress. . . . They had to sign some kind of agreement because Congress had just smashed them into a corner,” said Elliott Abrams, assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs.

“I think the Contras made the absolute best deal they could, considering the circumstances they were in,” he added during an interview on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

‘Dispiriting Effect’

White House Chief of Staff Howard H. Baker Jr. said that “the fact Congress did not continue aid to the Contras must have had a dispiriting and a depressing effect on them.”

“It was no surprise that these things occurred. . . . They (Contra leaders) decided that if Congress wasn’t going to support them, they had had to do the best deal they could,” he said during a Cable News Network broadcast of “Evans and Novak.”

There was broad agreement, however, on the need for U.S. officials to seek an end to Soviet military aid to the Managua regime, assistance that Abrams said averages $500 million a year.

Wright and Abrams said the Soviets should be required to end such aid to ensure peace in Central America. But they acknowledged that such assistance is not banned under the August peace plan.

Accord Curbs Arms

Under the plan, foreign countries are prohibited from sending arms to “irregular armies” seeking to overthrow governments in Central American countries, such as Nicaragua and El Salvador. The peace accord does not, however, prevent military assistance to established governments.

“I think it has come to the point where there (should be) a cessation of military weapons (from outside nations),” Wright said. “And now that’s up to the Reagan Administration to sit down and negotiate that. I think they’ve been invited (by the Soviets) to do so, and I think they have to do it.”

Ortega, who also appeared on “Face the Nation,” and other Sandinista officials said they are willing to discuss a Soviet aid cutoff if the United States holds direct talks with Nicaraguan officials--something the Reagan Administration has rejected in the past.

“If it (the White House) is so concerned about Soviet military assistance to Nicaragua, we have said that’s something that can be discussed. . . . It’s not us that’s running from the bargaining table,” said Alejandro Bendana, secretary general of the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry, during his television interview.

Talks Plan Rejected

However, Abrams rejected the idea of U.S.-Nicaraguan talks, calling instead for negotiations among the five Central American countries to discuss the flow of Soviet weapons into the region.

Meanwhile, Contra leaders said they would view pending peace talks with a mixture of cautious optimism and skepticism. The rebels, who held a meeting in Miami over the weekend to plan their strategy, said they are prepared to resume a military struggle if the talks break down.

The talks will be “the acid test for the Sandinistas,” Contra leader Adolfo Calero said. “They will either go the way of peace or continue to make war.”