Biden pledges support for Georgia, Ukraine.

Can you believe it? how will the u.s and russia get anywhere in cooperation if one of them helps an enemy? what do you think of this comrades.


READ IT.

TBILISI, Georgia – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Wednesday pledged support for efforts by Ukraine and Georgia to break free of Russia's orbit, saying Washington would not recognize Kremlin claims to an exclusive sphere of influence over former Soviet states.

Biden's assurances in visits to both countries bluntly addressed the most volatile issue dividing Russia and the West, and were offered just two weeks after President Barack Obama was in Moscow seeking to heal U.S.-Russia relations.

"As we reset the relationship with Russia, we reaffirm our commitment to an independent Ukraine, and we recognize no sphere of influence or no ability of any other nation to veto the choices an independent nation makes," Biden declared in Kiev, Ukraine's capital.

Biden's comments underlined the U.S. commitment to encouraging Western-style democracies among former Soviet states, despite Russia's open hostility to what it considers meddling in its back yard.

At a banquet in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi on Wednesday evening, Biden said he wanted to send "an unequivocal, clear message to all who will listen and some who don't want to listen, that America stands with you and will continue to stand."

Russian troops crushed Georgia's military in a brief war in Georgia last August, about five years after the country's 2003 Rose Revolution brought President Mikhail Saakashvili to power and ousted a Soviet-era leader.

For weeks this spring, tens of thousands of Georgians jammed central Tbilisi demanding Saakashvili's resignation, accusing him of strengthening his power at the expense of democratic rights. Those protests gradually waned.

Hundreds of demonstrators who lined Biden's route from the airport Wednesday waved flags and held signs saying "Don't Forget Us," sounding a note of defiance. One sign declared "No to occupation" — a reference to the Russian troops stationed in two breakaway Georgian regions.

Biden's motorcade also passed George W. Bush Street, marked by a large sign with the former U.S. president's picture. Because of Bush's steadfast support for Georgia, many revered him at a time when he was widely disliked abroad, and he drew huge crowds on a 2005 visit.

Before Biden's arrival in Tbilisi, police removed from in front of parliament dozens of metal cages blocking traffic that the opposition had erected to symbolize what they called Saakashvili's increasing authoritarianism.

No arrests were reported, and no resistance from opposition activists was visible along leafy Rustaveli Avenue, which remained closed to vehicles after police set up portable metal fencing. About 3,000 opposition demonstrators rallied a short distance away.

Biden, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, last visited Georgia shortly after the war with Russia in August.

At Wednesday's banquet, he called the Rose Revolution "a clarion call for freedom-loving people around the globe," but he also urged the Georgian president to "plant the roots of democracy deep," alluding to criticism of Saakashvili's rule.

He said the U.S. encouraged the growth of civil societies that "hold all governments accountable, yours and mine accountable."

At one point, Biden said in a joking manner: "You mentioned protesters. Welcome to democracy."

Saakashvili called Biden "Joe, my dear friend," and thanked him for his support and "all your belief in us and our cause." He rejected allegations that he has engaged in authoritarian rule.

"For us there is no trade-off between democracy and security," he said.

Saakashvili announced a series of political reforms Monday meant to address his critics' charges.

He predicted Wednesday that sooner or later, the Russians would leave their bases in the two breakaway regions of Georgia, just as Soviet troops left Afghanistan in 1989. After Georgia used military force to try to seize one of the regions from Moscow-backed separatists in August, Russia sent tanks and warplanes deep into Georgian territory, crushing the country's army.

"The Georgian people stand proudly in their resistance, and we will never, ever surrender," he said.

On Thursday, Biden was to meet with leading members of the Georgian opposition.

Shortly after the Georgian war, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev declared that Moscow has a "zone of privileged interests" among former Soviet and Eastern European satellites. The U.S. and Europe have rejected sphere-of-influence geopolitics, which give great powers sway over their smaller neighbors.

Russia and the West are also divided over Ukraine and Georgia's efforts to join NATO. In Ukraine, Biden reiterated Washington's support for the country's NATO membership, if Ukrainians decide to pursue that goal.

The U.S. has pledged to support NATO membership for Georgia, where popular support for the idea is much greater. But Germany and other European member states are skeptical.

___

Associated Press Writer Maria Danilova contributed to this report from Kiev, Ukraine.

As if Georgia can threaten the mighty Russian Federation! U.S. support or not, we'd crush Georgia.

Georgia is quite the stupid country. They should have learned last August what happens when you play around with Russia. Support from the U.S. will not help them, and I do not think the U.S. has the nerve to go any further than give them upgraded military equipment, which should be no trouble for the mighty Russian military.

"For us there is no trade-off between democracy and security," The Georgian government controls their media, and over the months they have been beating and imprisoning the opposition, and many, many serious abuses have been reported.

They don't have much security either, Comrade Vovka!

Russia should assasinate the Georgian leader.

And throw a grenade at Biden!

Not a bad idea!

Grenade! That was funny!

I like it! It sends a clear message: See this grenade at your feet? What if it wasn't rigged not to explode? You would have ceased to exist. YOU'RE NOT WELCOME IN GEORGIA!

Classic

yea, that reminds me of a little incident when bush was in office anyways, i do agree with you comrades, no matter what the u.s gives georgia they just cant fight like we can But of course, good weapons and modern equipment ill greatly effect the battlefield. But certainly not enough to stop a army (in this case russia) from wiping georgia off the face of the earth!

Da, da. Bush was in Georgia when the Grenade was thrown at him.

I don't think the US will supply Georgia with modern equipment to fight Russia. They know it will be of no help against our mighty military. I think the US will supply Georgia with modern equipment to retake South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Those two little provinces can put up a fight against the Georgian army, but not if the Georgians get hold of such modern equipment, they'll be practically defenseless. The US thinks Russia doesn't want another conflict with Georgia, it would have far to many consequences. It's quite simple.

The u.s needs to leave georgia to fend for themselves.

Russia should invade Georgia again, they're a threat to South Ossetia and Abkhazia! How can we trust them not to use military force on those two little provinces?

Biden says Russia is weak so we'll bend to America's will. And Russia is going to spend billions on trying to fix social problems, problems that are for the people who create them to fix. What a waste of money. We should put more money into building up our military. We need to let Georgia and the U.S. know we can't be pushed around.

da, more money fo the military! but, what about food?

Food?

Food? What of it?

We have enough food.

Yeah... Just exclude the fact that a quarter of our grain was lost in a heat wave so now it's potatoes instead of bread...

Stop whining, comrade. It'll be colder next year.

The dreaded 9s... Eh, comrades?

Da.

Ditto.