McCain, Bush use radio addresses to criticize Russia

President Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) on Saturday called on Russia to restore its relationship with the international community and warned of future conflicts with Georgia.

In his weekly radio address, Bush said Russia’s invasion of Georgia, a U.S. ally that has recently sought to enter the NATO over its powerful neighbor’s objections, has larger implications within the western world.

{mosads}“In recent years, Russia has sought to integrate into the diplomatic, political, economic, and security structures of the West…The United States has supported those efforts,” Bush said. “Now Russia has put its aspirations at risk by taking actions in Georgia that are inconsistent with the principles of those institutions.”

McCain, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, tied the conflict to the continued energy debate in his weekly address, saying that Russia’s actions reiterate the need for the United States to find sources of energy domestically rather than relying on outside nations.   

“For some time now, I have been making the case for a dramatic acceleration of domestic energy production, primarily on economic grounds,” McCain said. “With high prices and growing demand for oil and gas, Americans cannot remain dependent upon others for the most vital of commodities.”

Their comments come as Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed a modified cease fire agreement on Saturday, ending the conflict that began on last week when Georgian troops moved into the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Russia responded by attacking Georgian forces in South Ossetia and later invading other parts of the former Soviet republic.  

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice traveled to Georgia’s capital Tbilisi this week and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is overseeing a U.S. effort to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia.

Bush said Rice would travel to Brussels to meet with NATO and European Union officials to further discuss the situation in Georgia next week.