From The new York Times, August 15, 2008, by CLIFFORD J. LEVY*:
MOSCOW — Russia issued a rebuke to President Bush on Thursday over the conflict in neighboring Georgia, refusing an immediate withdrawal of its troops there, affirming its support for two separatist enclaves and warning the United States to avoid doing anything that would encourage its Georgian ally to reignite hostilities.
In response, in the most pointed language yet from a Bush administration official, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates declared that Russia’s actions now required a full reassessment of administration efforts to create “an ongoing and long-term strategic dialogue with Russia.”
At a Pentagon briefing, Mr. Gates said, “Russia’s behavior over the past week has called into question the entire premise of that dialogue and has profound implications for our security relationship going forward, both bilaterally and with NATO. If Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia, the U.S.-Russian relationship could be adversely affected for years to come.”
Still, he ruled out the use of American military force in connection with the conflict. “I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the United States in this situation,” Mr. Gates said. “Clear enough?”
On the ground in Georgia, both sides appeared to take tentative steps to back away from further fighting and adhere to the framework of a cease-fire brokered on Wednesday. But by the end of the day, Russian troops continued to hold their positions, and conditions were largely unchanged.
A day after Mr. Bush demanded that Russia pull its forces from Georgia and sent humanitarian aid there, it was clear that tensions between the two powers were not subsiding.
Russia’s president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, held a televised meeting with the leaders of the two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and pledged that Russia would provide whatever they needed to secede lawfully from Georgia.
Follow This Link to see a map of the conflict.
The Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, said separately in a radio interview that Georgia “can forget about” its territorial integrity because the Georgian government under President Mikheil Saakashvili had committed so many atrocities that the two breakaway regions could never live under Georgian rule.
Russian defense officials raised questions about the nature of the humanitarian aid that the United States military has begun airlifting to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. And the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Washington should avoid steps that might prompt new fighting and “lead to the repetition of a tragic scenario.”
For their part, American and Georgian officials reiterated that Russia was the aggressor. Mr. Saakashvili, a fluent English speaker who was educated in the United States, has made a string of appearances in recent days on American television networks intended to rally support for his country.
The Russian military action in Georgia, which erupted a week ago, underscored the Kremlin’s determination to maintain influence over other former Soviet republics and ward off expansion of NATO, which Georgia wants to join. The conflict has caused perhaps the greatest strain in relations between the United States and Russia since Vladimir V. Putin took power here in 2000 and began seeking to revive Russia’s standing.
Mr. Gates suggested that Russia’s goal was not really peacekeeping and the protection of pro-Russian inhabitants of South Ossetia. Rather, he said, it was to send a message to Georgia and other former Soviet states that they should think twice before “daring to try to integrate with the West.”
The Russian reaction came as Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice headed to the region to work for a settlement and to show support for Mr. Saakashvili, a close friend of the United States.
She was sent by Mr. Bush, who declared Wednesday that if Russia did not abide by the cease-fire, it would risk its place in “the diplomatic, political, economic and security structures of the 21st century.”
....In Georgia on Thursday, Russian forces briefly allowed Georgian police to return to the city of Gori as Russian troops appeared to prepare to pull out. But joint patrols were canceled three hours later and the city returned to full Russian control.
Gori was the focus of international protest after Russia shelled it and occupied it on Wednesday. The attempt at joint patrols on Thursday at first suggested the conflict had ebbed. The city is just 40 miles from Tbilisi, and rumors had circulated on Wednesday of a possible advance on the city....
*Reporting was contributed by Ellen Barry from Moscow; C.J. Chivers from Gori, Georgia; Michael Schwirtz from Poti, Georgia; and David Stout from Washington.
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