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US Congressmen: Russia is causing instability and tensions in the region

08 July 2011 10:58 (UTC +04:00)

At a hearing July 7, â€œTime to Pause the Reset? Defending U.S. Interests in the Face of Russian Aggressionâ€ the House of Representatives members voiced a number of concerns.

â€œWhile there remain significant areas of disagreement between the U.S. and Russiaâ€¦there can be no doubt that the reset has led to increased cooperation between our two countries in a number of critical areas.â€â€“ Congressman Howard L. Berman.

Most importantly, Russia has played a more constructive role in efforts to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapons capability, he added. Besides, he said, Russia and the United States also have a mutual interest in preventing the flow of narcotics from Afghanistan, and cooperation on counternarcotics efforts have also increased as a result of the reset.

But, nonetheless, the US Congress is very much concerned over Russiaâ€™s policy not only in Georgia, but in the whole South Caucasus region. A number of Congress members said Russia is causing instability and tensions in the region.

Another factor, that shows how Russia destabilizes the situation in the South Caucasus, according to Berman, is that â€œthere are now more Russian troops stationed in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia than before the conflictâ€.

Another Congress member, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen from Florida said another concern is that â€œRussiaâ€™s true motive is a political one, namely to divide NATO and to demonstrate to the countries of the region that, despite their close alliance with the US, Moscow intends to retain a dominant influence over their affairs. This is how the governments and people in that region see itâ€.

â€œPutinâ€™s government claims a privileged position for Russia regarding the countries on or near its borders and has repeatedly used its muscle to enforce this assertion of rights. Moscow has exploited their dependence on Russian energy supplies â€“ including oil, natural gas, and electricity â€“ to pressure governments to accommodate Russian demands, going so far as to cut off supplies in the middle of winterâ€, she added.

The US Congress members said they would like the US Administration will reconsider its approach to the Russian regime.