Backgrounder: Basic facts about South Ossetia issue

Backgrounder: Relations between Georgia, Russia

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin speaks during an interview with CNN in Moscow Aug. 28, 2008. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    MOSCOW, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused the United States on Thursday of failing to keep Georgia from launching attacks against South Ossetia, saying the move had caused damage to bilateral ties.

    "This (inability) of course harmed our relations, first of all intergovernmental," Putin said in an interview with CNN.

    Russia had expected the United States would intervene in the conflict and stop Georgia attacking South Ossetia, Putin said.

    However, "the U.S. administration not only failed to restrain the Georgian leadership from this criminal action, but the American side in fact trained and equipped the Georgian army," theRIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying.

    Asked about the prospect of Russia being expelled from the Group of Eight (G8), the premier said he doubted the club's operation in such fields as anti-terrorism, anti-drug, and nuclear non-proliferation will be efficient without Russia's participation.

    "Well, suppose anyone wants to do it absolutely without Russia. To what extent will this work be efficient?" Putin said.

    The former Russian president also said that the G8 is becoming inadequate without India and China.

    In addition, Putin said 19 U.S. companies are to be excluded from the list of Russia's poultry suppliers, while 29 other companies had been warned to "improve their standards or face the same ban."

    Georgia launched an offensive against South Ossetia in an attempt to regain control of the breakaway region bordering Russia. In retaliation, Moscow sent in troops that drove Georgian forces out of the region and took over parts of Georgian territory.

    Russia declared a halt to its military offensive in Georgia on Aug. 12 after days of conflict in the region. Later, Moscow said it had fulfilled the promise made in a French-brokered peace plan to withdraw its troops from Georgia as of last Friday.

UN Security Council at odds over Georgia conflict

    UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council remained deadlocked over the conflict in Georgia on Thursday afternoon after concluding its sixth emergency session on the subject since early August. Full story

U.S. ready to give Georgia military assistance

    BUDAPEST, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States is ready to give Georgia all possible assistance, which can include military assistance, a U.S. State Department official said on Thursday.  Full story

U.S. considers scrapping nuclear agreement with Russia

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- The United States said Thursday it is considering scrapping its civil nuclear agreement with Russia but there was no announcement at this time.  Full story

Georgian parliament calls for severing ties with Russia

    TBILISI, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Georgia's parliament on Thursday urged the government to cut diplomatic relations with Russia after Moscow's recognition of the independence of two Georgian breakaway regions.  Full story

Georgia urges OSCE to deal with Georgian-Russian conflict

    VIENNA, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Georgian Foreign Minister Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili urged the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Thursday in Vienna to take prompt action to the Georgian-Russian conflict. Full story

Medvedev says Russia not fearing new Cold War

    MOSCOW, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Russia neither fears nor seeks a new Cold War, but it depends on the West whether such a war will break out again, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said Tuesday.  Full story

South Ossetia conflict casts shadow over Russia-West ties 

    MOSCOW, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The conflict that erupted overnight on Aug. 8 in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, not only caused great damage to ties between Russia and Georgia, but also cast a shadow over Russia's relations with the West.

    With some western nations criticizing Russia for failing to live up to its ceasefire agreement with Georgia, analysts remain skeptical about whether the lingering Russia-West rift would heal anytime soon. Full story