Dick Cheney, in visit to Georgia, assails Russia

Appearing alongside beleaguered Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Vice President Dick Cheney today blasted Russia’s conduct in its short war with Georgia and pledged to continue American support for reconstruction and humanitarian aid.

Cheney’s visit to Tbilisi was the highlight of a quick swing through the Western-friendly former Soviet states of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine. The trip appeared designed to shore up the morale of national leaders rattled by Russia’s rout of U.S.-trained Georgian forces.

“Russia’s actions have cast grave doubt on Russia’s intentions and on its reliability as an international partner, not just in Georgia, but across this region and indeed throughout the international system,” Cheney said. “America will do its duty to work with the governments of Georgia and our other friends and allies to protect our common interests and uphold our values.”

Cheney’s remarks were certain to further inflame Moscow, where officials have railed against U.S. alliances with the former Soviet states. Earlier this week, President Dmitry Medvedev said bluntly that Moscow expected to maintain a “privileged” sphere of influence in the region of the former Soviet Union.

Russian officials have also been dismayed at the apparent staying power of Saakashvili, often referred to in Moscow as a “war criminal” for launching the military operation in early August meant to control the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Russian forces responded with force to defend the pro-Russian enclave that broke with Georgia’s government more than a decade ago. The fighting concluded with a Russian occupation to enforce the separation from Georgia of South Ossetia and fellow breakaway region Abkhazia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier this week that the world should impose an arms embargo on Georgia until Saakashvili is out of power.

Georgian officials have said the United States will help rebuild the country’s crushed military. But that question remained vague during Cheney’s visit, which came a day after President Bush said the U.S. would provide up to $1 billion in nonmilitary assistance.

“After your nation won its freedom in the Rose Revolution, America came to the aid of this courageous young democracy,” Cheney said, referring to the nonviolent revolt in 2003 that put Saakashvili in power. “We are doing so again as you work to overcome an invasion of your sovereign territory, and an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country’s borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world.”

Cheney emphasized that “America is fully committed to Georgia’s membership action plan for NATO and to its eventual membership in the alliance.”

“Now it is the responsibility of the free world to rally to the side of Georgia,” the American vice president added.

Although the Georgian government is eager to rebuild its battered military, Saakashvili, for his part, said Georgia would try to “do our best to avoid violence” in the future.

Cheney’s visit, said Georgian political expert Alexander Rondeli, demonstrated “the United States’ full support of Georgia and its president.

“The vice president marked the big importance of the energy corridor that runs on the Georgian territory,” he said, “and the corridor remains in the sphere of interests of America and Western countries.”