US mulls further steps against Russia
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is to deliver yesterday what officials describe as a "significant" speech on US relations with Russia, as Washington considers further steps against Moscow for its actions in Georgia.The State Department's number three, William Burns, told the Senate on Wednesday that the US government might go beyond decisions in recent weeks to suspend US-Russian military programmes and civil nuclear cooperation.
"We continue to review other options," Burns, the undersecretary for political affairs, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He stressed that Washington sought to work closely with its European allies.
"It is important to reinforce for Russia the consequences of its actions in Georgia as a means of ensuring compliance with its commitments to President (Nicolas) Sarkozy" of France, Burns said.
In Moscow, Sarkozy signed a deal with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on September 8 that called for Russian troop withdrawals to pre-August 6 positions and other actions to end the crisis.
Russia poured troops and armour into Georgia last month to repel a Georgian attack on the separatist region of South Ossetia, leading to a deep chill in Moscow's relations with the West.
Moscow has also recognised both South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian region, Abkhazia.
The White House on Wednesday called on Russia to respect Georgia's territorial integrity and urged Moscow to pull its forces back to where they were before the conflict flared.
Burns, who served as US ambassador to Moscow until June, said that Rice spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier this week to discuss compliance with the deal.
A senior State Department official told reporters meanwhile that Rice would on Thursday give "a significant speech about US-Russia relations as well as about Russia's place within the international system."
The speech will mention "the international system and its response to Russia," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
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