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Press Briefing on the President's Trip to Russia, Italy and Africa (July 1, 2009)

PRESS BRIEFINGON THE PRESIDENT'S TRIP TO RUSSIA, ITALY, AND AFRICABY DENIS McDONOUGH, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS, MICHAEL FROMAN, DEPUTY NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR FOR INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, MICHELLE GAVIN, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR AFRICAN AFFAIRS, AND MICHAEL McFAUL, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT AND SENIOR DIRECTOR FOR RUSSIAN AND EURASIAN AFFAIRS

Excerpt on Georgia

Q    … What is the President prepared -- what kind of reassurances is the President prepared to offer Russia on its two stickiest points -- NATO expansion for Ukraine and Georgia, and the third missile site -- missile defense site in Eastern Europe? …

MR. McFAUL:  This is Mike McFaul.  On NATO expansion and missile defense, I would just say this, that we're definitely not going to use the word "reassure" in the way that we talk about these things.  We're not going to reassure or give or trade anything with the Russians regarding NATO expansion or missile defense.

Rather, our approach is different than that.  We're going to define our national interests, and by that I also mean the interests of our allies in Europe with reference to these two particular questions.  We're going to talk about them very frankly as we did in April when we first met with President Medvedev.  And then we're going to see if there are ways that we can have Russia cooperate on those things that we define as our national interests.

So we don't need the Russians, we don't want to trade with them.  We actually think that if you frame it that way, you're going to do a lot more business than in other ways.

So in particular to your questions about NATO expansion, we've been very clear about NATO expansion.  The door is open.  The principles have been laid out well before our administration.  We have not messed with those at all.  If countries meet the criteria, if they do the reforms that qualify, if the people of those countries want to join NATO, and if they provide security to the alliance -- let's remember, this is not just an American decision, this is an alliance decision -- then the negotiation is open.  And that pertains to Georgia and Ukraine and other countries in the region.

We have commissions, as you know, with both Georgia and Ukraine to work to get them along the path to become a more active, cooperative member with NATO, well before they become members.  And I would remind you that the Vice President is traveling two weeks later to those two countries as a signal of our support that we are not in any way, in the name of the reset, abandoning our very close relationships with these two democracies, Ukraine and Georgia. 
 
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