Russian President shrugs off Western threats
RUSSIA: Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sternly warned the West on
Tuesday that it would lose more than Moscow if it tried to punish Russia
with sanctions over the war with Georgia.
In an interview with Italian RAI television broadcast Tuesday,
Medvedev said that Russia does not fear expulsion from the Group of
Eight leading industrialized nations.
“The G-8 will be practically unable to function without Russia,
because it can make decisions only if they reflect the opinion of top
global economies and leading political players of the world,” Medvedev
said. “That’s why we don’t fear being expelled from the G-8. We need
each other.”
U.S. presidential candidate John McCain was among those who called
for Russia’s expulsion from the elite club of the world’s richest
countries.
Without naming any names, Medvedev alleged that calls for Russia’s
expulsion from the G-8 were rooted in “electoral technologies.”
“I attribute these calls to electoral technologies, a desire to boost
ratings using some conflict.
If Iran isn’t enough, why not take the Caucasus issue,” he said.
Medvedev’s remarks followed statements from his predecessor and
patron, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who has recently accused the
United States of instigating the fighting in Georgia in connection with
the U.S. presidential campaign - a claim the White House dismissed as
“patently false.”
Medvedev also warned that NATO would suffer more than Russia if ties
with Moscow were severed.
“We don’t see anything dramatic or difficult about suspending our
relations if that’s the wish of our partners,” Medvedev said. “But I
think that our partners will lose more from that.” NATO nations depend
on Russia to move supplies to the alliance troops in Afghanistan.
Medvedev said Moscow would not agree to any contacts with Georgian
President Mikhail Saakashvili, whom he called a “political corpse.”
Medvedev also criticized the United States for arming the Georgian
military and claimed that Washington had given a green light to
Saakashvili to launch the Aug. 7 offensive to regain control over the
breakaway province of South Ossetia.
“Regrettably, at some point they have given Mr. Saakashvili a carte
blanche for any actions, including the military actions,” Medvedev said.
MOSCOW, Wednesday,
AP
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