Evaluating U.S.-Russian relations based on “realities”

“In the days and weeks ahead the Department of Defense will reexamine the whole gambit of our relationship with the Russian military,” said Secretary Robert Gates during a press briefing at the Pentagon. Gates said that not only was the Russian offensive against Georgia designed to punish Georgia for their claim and involvement in the breakaway provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, but to send a message on those seeking to build relationships with western nations.” I think that the Russian further message was to all of the parts of the former Soviet Union as a signal about trying to integrate with the west and move outside of the longtime Russian sphere of influence,” he said.

Gates and the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. James Cartwright laid out the details of the U.S. humanitarian mission to Georgia, which has been involved in heavy fighting with Russia over the past week.

“Generally they are moving out of the cities,” said Cartwright of Russian forces which had gone as far as Gori, a town in central Georgia. “The air activities have slowed dramatically over the last 24 hours,” he said.

President Bush has charged the Department of Defense with a humanitarian mission to bring relief supplies to Georgians. Gates said that the relief mission will be the focus point. “I don’t see any prospect for the use of military force by the US in this situation,” said Gates. He also said that American support is “sequenced” with the humanitarian mission coming first and then security to execute that mission and then some kind of economic reconstruction.

Gates set the tone for a slow rebuilding of relations between the U.S. and Russia. When asked if he trusted Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Gates said, “I have never believe that one should make national security policy on the basis of trust. I think that you make national security policy based on interests and on realities.”