The G-7

By Kleinheider Posted on August 19, 2008 at 7:49 am

Congressman John Tanner and Senator Lamar Alexander discuss our foreign policy in regards to Russia:

“This could have been a very, very serious situation. Had Georgia become a member of NATO, under Article 5 all (NATO members) are pledged to defend one another from actions of this type.”

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said the conflict sets back U.S.-Russian relations 15 to 20 years. He warned one of the casualties of the military action could be the G-8 (Group of Eight) international coalition that includes Russia and the U.S. and the largest countries in the European Union in terms of population.

“This adjusts our relations with Russia in a big way. It sets back the efforts of three presidents to try to bring Russia into a different role in world affairs. I don’t think the United States has the option of dealing with this in a military way,” Alexander told The Daily News over the weekend.

“But the diplomatic consequences will be great – whether Russia participates in the G-8 or whether the G-8 dissolves and leaves Russia out – the relationship of NATO to Russia now and our responsibilities to NATO countries. It changes the world in an important and a disturbing way.”

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