VZCZCXRO8219
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #3492/01 3390813
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040813Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0965
INFO RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MOSCOW 003492 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O.  12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR PARM KNNP OREP GG RS
SUBJECT: SENATOR CORKER'S MEETING WITH DFM GRUSHKO: 
U.S.-RUSSIA RELATIONS, MISSILE DEFENSE, NATO, 
GEORGIA 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr 
Grushko told visiting U.S. Senator Bob Corker the 
U.S. and Russia should build off the Sochi 
Declaration to move the relationship forward.  The 
U.S. was trying to impose its security interests on 
Russia with its missile defense proposal.  Grushko 
reiterated Russia's arguments regarding the war in 
Georgia and said it was up to Georgia to determine 
the future of Russian-Georgia relations.  Senator 
Corker responded that while Saakashvili had made 
mistakes, Russia's response seemed excessive.  End 
Summary. 
 
U.S.-Russia Relations Should Build off Sochi 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Noting that he hoped for a new start in 
U.S.-Russian relations, Deputy Foreign Minister 
Aleksandr Grushko told visiting Senator Bob Corker 
November 7 that the U.S. was Russia's most important 
partner on security issues, and he hoped the two 
could build off the Sochi Declaration in seeking to 
overcome the obstacles between us.  He stressed that 
our relations should be on an equal footing, account 
for the security interests of both sides, and not 
attempt to "impose" one another's security interests 
on the other.  This was the problem Russia had with 
U.S. missile defense (MD) plans; they undermined 
Russia's strategic potential.  U.S. arguments that 
MD was designed to protect U.S. interests and Europe 
from an Iranian threat, he contended, were 
questioned because Europe had not asked for such 
protection.  Although Europe was interested in 
exploring theater MD, their lack of strong support 
for U.S. MD showed we should try to build a system 
in common. 
 
¶3. (SBU) It was also important for the U.S. and 
Russia to focus on strategic stability issues, 
including arms control and a post-START agreement, 
Grushko said.  He also lamented the lack of "real 
economic ties," saying this was the weakest part of 
the relationship.  If we were more interdependent 
economically, we would listen to each other better 
and be more flexible. 
 
NATO Chooses Georgia 
-------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Grushko, who is responsible for European 
security issues, including NATO, in the Ministry, 
reviewed Russia-NATO relations.  The most attractive 
thing about the NATO-Russia Council (NRC), he said, 
was that all members were on an equal footing and 
acted in their individual capacities; it was not 
"26-plus-1."  He lamented that NATO members had 
"clearly taken Georgia's side" during the 
"aggression of Georgia against South Ossetians and 
Russian peacekeepers."  Under pressure from the 
U.S., Grushko claimed, the NATO Secretary General 
had failed to convene an extraordinary meeting of 
the NRC to discuss the situation.  Despite Georgia's 
"violations of all norms," NATO, instead of 
condemning Georgia, had granted it the "bonus" of 
creating a NATO-Georgia Commission. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Senator Corker said that while it appeared 
that Saakashvili had made a number of mistakes, 
Russia's response had gone beyond what was 
necessary.  In response to his question about the 
apparent extensive burning of farmland in South 
Ossetia, Grushko claimed Russian troops had not been 
involved in such destruction, but he could not 
exclude that "others" had done things "not fully in 
line with how war should be conducted." 
 
¶6. (SBU) Grushko reiterated Russian arguments that 
their troops had only been sent into the enclaves in 
response to the killing of Russian peacekeepers and 
to protect civilians.  They could have marched on 
Tbilisi, since there was "no resistance, and the 
Georgian army was running away" but Medvedev had 
ordered them to stop.  Now, they had withdrawn from 
Georgia per agreement with the EU. 
 
¶7. (SBU) In response to Senator Corker's question 
about the future of Russia-Georgia relations, 
Grushko said it was up to Georgia to decide. 
 
MOSCOW 00003492  002 OF 002 
 
 
Referring to historic and "spiritual" ties between 
the two countries, Grushko said the events of August 
had been "a tragedy."  He went through a history of 
the region and relations since the fall of the 
Soviet Union, saying Russia had never stationed 
forces abroad; the peacekeepers in Abkhazia and 
South Ossetia (and Transnistria) had already been 
there and were kept on pursuant to the agreements 
reached in the mid-90's.  Russia had withdrawn its 
forces in accordance with the CFE Treaty and 
Istanbul commitments, and started negotiations on 
the few remaining outposts in Batumi and Gudauta. 
But then Saakashvili came to power and insisted 
Russia withdraw all of its forces, which Russia had 
done in 2007.  If Russia had kept strong military 
units in the two zones, Saakashvili would have 
thought twice about attacking Tskhinvali, Grushko 
contended.  He told the Senator Russia would keep 
approximately 7200 troops in the two enclaves to 
"prevent a new aggression."  Echoing Medvedev's and 
FM Lavrov's complaints, he said the EU also needed 
to do more to guarantee security. 
 
¶8. (SBU) The delegation has cleared this cable. 
 
BEYRLE