Medvedev: US-Ukraine, Georgia Ties OK With Me

MOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said U.S. efforts to mend relations with Moscow need not be made at the expense of Washington's ties to Ukraine and Georgia.

Medvedev's comments, broadcast Friday, were clearly meant to send a positive signal about the potential for warmer relations with the United States after his summit this month with President Barack Obama.

"We need normal, working, friendly relations with the U.S. – mutually beneficial relations," Medvedev said in an excerpt from an interview with Russia's NTV television. "Much depends on this."

"But this does not mean that our relations (with the U.S.) must lead to the deterioration of our ties with other countries or of U.S. relations with some other countries, whether it is Ukraine or Georgia," he said.

The Kremlin has often bristled at Washington's close relations with the pro-Western leaders of Ukraine and Georgia. Georgia's drive to join NATO added to tensions that preceded Russia's war with the ex-Soviet republic last summer.

Since the war, Russia has persistently warned the U.S. not to rearm Georgia, and has ignored Western anger over its recognition of two Moscow-backed separatist regions in Georgia as independent nations.

The war drove already strained relations between Russia and the U.S. to a post-Cold War low. Obama has declared his intention to "reset" those ties, and both sides saw the July 6-8 Moscow summit as a chance to begin.

Medvedev's words echoed U.S. Vice President Joe Biden's message in a trip this week to Ukraine and Georgia. Biden assured those countries their interests would not be sacrificed for the sake of better relations with Russia, contending that better ties between the U.S. and Russia could work in their favor.

In Friday's broadcast, Medvedev said, "I don't think it is right for the relations with Russia to be reset – to use the American terminology – at the expense of some other countries," Medvedev said.

During Biden's visit to the two countries, he expressed support for their efforts to break out of Russia's orbit and emphasized that Washington would not recognize Kremlin claims to an exclusive sphere of influence over former Soviet states – a direct rebuke to Medvedev's declaration after the war that Moscow has a "zone of privileged interests" in the region.

In the NTV interview, Medvedev said that Russia wants constructive relations with other countries but will not be pushed around – a stance often asserted by his tougher-talking predecessor Vladimir Putin, who is now prime minister.

Russia should project an image that is "comfortable for those we deal with," Medvedev said. "Of course, should not put spikes in anyone's path, but at the same time, when some difficulties arise we must be capable of giving a response. Sometimes a tough response. Sometimes a very tough response."

Comments

[philoffal]

Russia says it will take 'concrete steps' over any US attempt to rearm Georgia

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jul/23/russia-warns-us-over-georgia

[LMPE]

What do the people of Ukraine and Georgia want? That's the important question.

[wm1066]

The Russians are seeing that America isn't blinding following the bushmccain policy in Georgia, and Obama is trying to pull back Georgia from the brink. We are trusted in the world again!

[greatscot]

The NATO enciclement of Russia continues! The opportunistic policies of the Bush regime should be dropped by Obama. E. Europe should develop without the U.S. muscling into their business, and driving a wedge betwen them and Russia, their natural economic partner, which has only empowered the hard-liners in the Russian military, who see it as a power-grab before Russia could recover economically. The lunacy of an "alliance" with Georgia is now apparent, as is the stationing of a missile defence in Poland and the Czech Republic. The U.S. is, of course, egged on by right-wing Europeans like Berlusconi.

Many Europeans want the U.S. to MYOB, leave Eastern Europe alone, and stop expanding NATO, which has had no reason to exist since the end of the Warsaw Pact. I'd take it one step farther and say close all U.S. bases in Europe immediately. Their nature has changed from "defence" (if that was EVER true) to power projection. Why would Europe want to enable American hegemony? Just as in Eastern Europe, Western Europe has its complement of right-wing militarist leaders, and successive U.S. governments have opportunistically fished in those troubled waters for decades.

What appears to be happening is the United States, failing to grasp another opportunity for real peace, is setting up another cold war, with Russia and China on the other side. This rift is artificial and benefits only the American military-Industrial Complex and the Congresspersons who feed off it!