Obama Would Isolate Russia for Recognizing Breakaway Regions

By Janine Zacharia

Bloomberg

August 27, 2008

Barack Obama and some of his advisers offered conflicting views on how to respond to Russia's recognition today of Georgia's two breakaway regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Obama, an Illinois senator, said the U.S. should ``further isolate Russia internationally because of its actions,'' while two of his top national security advisers, former defense secretary William Perry and former Navy secretary Richard Danzig, called for more engagement.

``We will not solve the problem with Russia by refusing to talk to them,'' Perry said today in Denver at a luncheon on the national security agenda for a potential Obama administration. ``We need to deal with them, deal with them effectively.''

At the forum, organized by the Truman National Security Project, a national security leadership institute for Democrats based in Washington, Perry said ``you start out by treating'' the Russians ``with respect.'' Danzig said the U.S. shouldn't aim to punish Russia, rather draw it ``further into the community of nations.''

Russia's recent incursions into Georgia and its recognition today for independence for Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in defiance of the international community, have pushed Russia policy to the forefront of the foreign policy discussions at the convention alongside Iraq and Afghanistan.

What to do about Russia is certain to factor into the speech Joseph Biden, Obama's vice presidential pick, delivers tomorrow at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations committee, visited Georgia days before Obama named him his running mate. Republican presidential candidate John McCain also called Russia's declaration today ``a significant and negative step.''

``In April, I warned that Russia was pursuing a policy of de facto annexation that threatened to undermine security and stability in the region,'' the Arizona senator said in a written statement.

Today's decision ``represents a major step forward in that process,'' McCain said. ``Moscow's action deserves condemnation from the entire international community, and Russia must understand that its violations of international law carry consequences.''

Representative Howard Berman, a California Democrat who just returned from a visit to Georgia, said he would chair hearings in the House Foreign Affairs Committee early next month when Congress reconvenes on what to do about Russia. ``I would focus now on helping our friends recover from the damage that they suffered,'' he said in an interview today in Denver referring to the Georgians. ``And then think very carefully how we deal with the Russians.''

David Bakradze, the chairman of the Georgian parliament, said in an interview in Denver that Georgia is looking for legal and political measures by the international community to punish Russia. While ``we're not talking about a new Cold War,'' Bakradze said, the Russians need to see ``they crossed the line.'' ``I think people underestimated how far Russia would go in its bullying strategy,'' he added.

Georgia's ambassador to the U.S., Vasil Sikharulidze, also in Denver for the Democratic convention, was busy making his country's case to Democratic foreign policy heavyweights today when he was called back to Washington for consultations with U.S. officials on Russia's declaration.

The U.S. and European Union earlier today condemned Russia's recognition of Georgia's two breakaway regions, which celebrated the move as increased international tensions drove down the ruble and Russian stocks.

President George W. Bush urged Russia to ``reconsider this irresponsible decision,'' which he said was ``inconsistent'' with United Nations Security Council resolutions on Georgia's borders that Russia had supported.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called his decision an ``obvious'' move to protect his country's borders. Russia's acceptance of the pro-Moscow autonomous regions' independence -- years after they first requested recognition -- followed its military drubbing of Georgia this month after leaders in Tbilisi tried to retake South Ossetia by force.