Obama: Russia “Increasingly Assertive”

US President-elect Barack Obama called for revamped relations with Russia Sunday, and spoke out against the nation’s increasingly aggressive behavior. “I think that it’s going to be important for us to reset US-Russian relations,” he told Tom Brokaw on NBC’s Meet the Press.

Obama went on to condemn the Russian authorities, who he said are becoming “increasingly assertive.”

“And when it comes to Georgia and their threats against their neighboring countries,” Obama said, “I think they’ve been acting in a way that’s contrary to international norms.”

At the same time, Obama recognized Russia’s economic gains, saying that “Russia is a country that has made great progress economically over the last several years. Obviously, high oil prices have helped them.”

“We want to cooperate with them where we can,” Obama said, “and there are a whole host of areas, particularly around nonproliferation of weapons and terrorism, where we can cooperate. But we also have to send a clear message that they have to act in ways that are not bullying their neighbors.”

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Full transcript:

TOM BROKAW: And, briefly, how soon after you take office do you want to meet with the leaders of Russia? And which ones do you meet with? Your counterpart is Medvedev; but, of course, the power behind the throne is Vladimir Putin.

PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: Well, you know, this is something that we’re going to make a determination on. I think that it’s going to be important for us to reset US-Russian relations. Russia is a country that has made great progress economically over the last several years. Obviously, high oil prices have helped them. They are increasingly assertive. And when it comes to Georgia and their threats against their neighboring countries, I think they’ve been acting in a way that’s contrary to international norms. We want to cooperate with them where we can, and there are a whole host of areas, particularly around nonproliferation of weapons and terrorism, where we can cooperate. But we also have to send a clear message that they have to act in ways that are not bullying their neighbors.