Cheney Scolds Russia Over War in Georgia

CERNOBBIO, Italy, Sept. 6 -- Vice President Cheney on Saturday called Russia's actions in the conflict with Georgia an "affront to civilized standards" and urged Western nations to stand united against any effort by Russia to use its dominance as an energy supplier to intimidate its neighbors.

Cheney also said that the expansion of NATO would continue despite Moscow's opposition, arguing that Russia should welcome its neighbors' joining an alliance that is not belligerent and whose members are democratic.

Russia has objected to NATO's promise of future memberships to Georgia and Ukraine, states it ruled during the Soviet era.

"Russia's actions are an affront to civilized standards and are completely unacceptable," Cheney said. "Russia has offered no satisfactory justification for the invasion, nor could it do so."

Employing some of the harshest language by the United States in the month since the crisis erupted, Cheney portrayed Russia as an increasingly bellicose nation whose actions were at odds with today's interconnected global community.

"Brutality against the neighbor is simply the latest in a succession of troublesome and unhelpful actions by the Russian government," he said. Russia, he said, was "increasingly antagonistic" in Europe and has endangered its international standing by using energy as "a tool of force and manipulation."

"Russia must relate to the world as a responsible modern power," Cheney said, speaking at a gathering of political and business leaders in this resort on Italy's Lake Como.

"In the space of the last 30 days, Russia has violated the sovereignty of a democracy, made and then breached a solemn agreement in a direct affront to the E.U., severely damaged its credibility and global standing and undermined its own relations with the United States and other countries," Cheney said.

Russia and Georgia blame each other for provoking the conflict that erupted Aug. 7.