Russia Wants Obama To Drop NATO Membership For Ukraine, Georgia
01.20.09 |
Russia wants the Obama administration to put an end to the "anti-Russian" policy of placing Ukraine and Georgia on the fast track towards NATO membership. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov says the policy destabilized Ukraine and ignited last summer's war in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.
European states led by France and Germany blocked a U.S. petition at a NATO summit last year to grant Ukraine and Georgia a swift route towards membership. Officials said neither country was ready and granting them membership would unnecessarily provoke Moscow. Russia considers the ex-Soviet countries as part of its sphere of influence.
Russian officials say U.S. military aid to Georgia was taken by the country's pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili as a sign of encouragement ahead of its attack on South Ossetia. The attack was repelled by Russian forces.Geogia maintains it acted in self-defense, claiming separatists had intensified shelling of Georgian villages and accusing Russia of sending in artillery to support them.
CATEGORIES
AUTHORS
ARCHIVE BY MONTH
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008