Moscow's membership in global clubs at stake -U.S.
13 Aug 2008 00:25:57 GMT Source: Reuters
(Releads with Rice interview, adds naval exercise canceled) By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Russia's integration into international institutions is at risk because of Moscow's military operations in Georgia, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Tuesday. "The Russians have said that they do want to be a part of that prosperous and forward-looking international community, and frankly they are doing great damage to their ability to do that," Rice said in an ABC News interview. "There are any number of opportunities for Russia to reverse course and to demonstrate that it is trying to behave according to 21st century principles," she said. "But, I can assure you that Russia's international reputation and what role Russia can play in the international community is very much at stake here." Rice did not specify what consequences Russia may face. A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity said: "Russia has a lot to lose" if it ignores international pressure to stop its attacks on Georgia, withdraw its forces from the former Soviet republic and enter into serious negotiations on the future of Georgia's breakaway areas. The United States on Tuesday canceled a naval exercise with Russia to indicate its disapproval of Moscow's attacks on its neighbor, a senior U.S. defense official. It was Washington's first concrete actions of protest. The annual exercise also involves vessels from Britain and France and was due to begin within the next week in the Pacific Ocean near the Russian city, Vladivostok. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia earlier Tuesday in support of an international peace plan promoted by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. But Georgia cast doubt on Moscow's announcement and U.S. officials could not confirm the Russian attacks had stopped. CEASE MILITARY ACTIVITY "It is very important now that all parties cease fire," Rice told reporters outside the White House where she had briefed President George W. Bush on efforts to resolve the crisis. "The Russians need to stop their military operations as they have apparently said that they will. But those military operations really do now need to stop," she said. The crisis began Thursday when Georgia sent forces to retake South Ossetia, a pro-Russian province that threw off Georgian rule in the 1990s. Moscow responded with a massive counter-attack deep into Georgia proper. As Washington sought ways to leverage its demands on Moscow, the senior U.S. official noted the Medvedev government had sought membership in the WTO, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and continued participation in the Group of Eight nations. "Frankly, the entire Medvedev agenda is at stake here," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The United States would like to see that agenda succeed, but "that's what's at stake when Russia engages in behavior that looks like it's from another time." "They need to think about whether they haven't achieved some tactical objectives at the expense of some strategic objectives," another senior official said. The United States sent an envoy to Georgia, but the main shuttle diplomacy between Russia and Georgia has been handled by the European Union, and led by the French. Rice insisted that Washington continued to stand for the territorial integrity of Georgia and its sovereignty, as well as the government of President Mikheil Saakashvili. The United States warned all its citizens to leave Georgia because of the danger there. U.S. officials said they believed about 1,000 American citizens were living in Georgia before the fighting began. (Additional reporting by Andrew Gray and David Alexander; Editing by Philip Barbara)
Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili attends a joint news conference with his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy (not pictured) in Tbilisi, August 13, 2008. Both presidents said on Wednesday they had agreed to ...
