NATO softens on Russia

Bloomberg

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Western European countries led by Germany maintained a veto on fast-track membership for Georgia and Ukraine and successfully pushed for an end to the U.S.-inspired policy of "no business as usual" with the Kremlin that was proclaimed after Russia’s war with Georgia in August.

"Allies agreed on what I would qualify as a conditional and graduated reengagement with Russia," Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said yesterday. Bids by western European allies to thaw relations with Russia will pose a test for Obama after he takes office Jan. 20. While promising to re-energize U.S. alliances during the election campaign, Obama also backed the NATO aspirations of Georgia and Ukraine.

Russia said that NATO’s decision shows that the U.S.-led military alliance is shying away from interfering with the Russian sphere of influence. "There is an open split within NATO and it will widen if NATO tries to expand further," Russian ambassador to NATO said.