US Adopts Soft line With Russia

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BRUSSELS: The United States has softened tough lines against what it views as Russia's illegitimate drive for influence over former Soviet vassals, although Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is urging European states to show their disapproval of Moscow's invasion of Georgia.

U.S. compromises were on display Tuesday as Rice made her final speech to NATO allies.

Having backed away from a call for Ukraine and Georgia to be prepared for NATO membership when it was clear that NATO allies would not go along, Rice suggested ahead of the NATO gathering of foreign ministers here that the U.S. is also considering relaxing its opposition to restoring ties with Russia that were suspended over the war with Georgia in August.

Immediately after Russian forces moved on Georgia, the Bush administration led the initiative to freeze the NATO-Russia Council. The forum had provided a setting for regular meetings of Russian and alliance foreign ministers. Several European allies are pushing for a return to talks with Moscow.

"I think the time has come to resume negotiations," Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini told reporters at the NATO meeting Tuesday. Talks with Russia could start soon at a lower level, then be formally relaunched at a NATO summit scheduled in April, he said.

Rice said that ties with Russia already had been resumed at a lower, technical level. She said the United States has no quarrel with that step-by-step approach, at least in principle. She said the alliance should be cautious and avoid overt military cooperation.

The timing of renewed cooperation should be subject to several considerations, including whether Russia is meeting its cease-fire commitments in Georgia, or "acting on its quite ill-tempered decision" to recognize two breakaway Georgian provinces as independent.

"Those are ... the touchstones of when it makes sense," Rice told reporters during a goodbye stop in London on Monday.

"I think you'd want to be very careful, for instance, about doing things that look military-to-military, because the Russian military is still sitting in the secessionist states," Rice said. She was referring to the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which the U.S.-backed government in Georgia claims.

Two days of NATO talks had been expected to focus on Georgia's and Ukraine's hopes of joining the alliance, with the U.S. pushing for faster consideration. France and Germany have warned against opening pre-membership talks with Ukraine and Georgia, saying such a move could antagonize Russia. The U.S. backed down last week amid opposition in Europe and Russia.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried told reporters a week ago that the two countries could bypass a program intended to prepare countries for membership but eventually join it anyway.

Attempting to reframe a losing debate with some European countries ahead of this week's meeting, U.S. officials said NATO should offer the post-Soviet nations more help in modernizing their militaries and bolstering their democracies.

Some alliance countries have opposed allowing Georgia and Ukraine to join NATO's Membership Action Plan (MAP) and blocked a U.S. push for offering the program at the alliance's April summit. However, the alliance said at the summit that the two countries would eventually become members and agreed to discuss the issue at the foreign minister's meeting.

With the alliance still divided on the issue, the United States is now looking for a new way to win membership for the countries.

Fried said he expects the foreign ministers to affirm NATO support for building a missile defense system in Europe. Those plans have also increased tensions with Moscow.

Rice is cutting her attendance at the NATO session short to travel to India, scene of a 60-hour terrorist rampage last week.


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