Russia Welcomes US Proposal to Ease Bilateral Tension

Russia is welcoming signals from Washington that the United States wants to ease strained relations with Moscow.

US Vice President Joe Biden, left, meets with the Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Sergei Ivanov in Munich, 08 Feb 2009

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov spoke to reporters Sunday at a security conference in Munich. His comments came one day after U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said it is time to repair what he called "a dangerous drift" in U.S.-Russian ties.

Ivanov applauded the Biden message, describing the vice president's call to "hit the restart button" in bilateral ties as "very positive."

Russian-U.S. ties have grown increasingly strained in recent years over NATO efforts to expand eastward and U.S. plans for a missile defense shield in Europe. Moscow also voiced strong objections to the Bush administration's support for an independent Kosovo.

For its part, the United States condemned the 2008 Russian military invasion of Georgia, and Moscow's subsequent recognition of two Georgian breakaway territories as independent countries.

Russia also has hinted it could drop its threat to deploy short-range Iskander missiles on European Union borders in the western Kaliningrad region, if the U.S. missile deployment is scrapped.

In his Saturday speech, Vice President Biden said the Obama administration will emphasize diplomacy, democracy and development over the use of military force. But he said Washington will not hesitate to defend its interests with force when necessary.

Biden also said the United States will continue to develop missile defenses to, in his words, counter a growing Iranian capability. But he said Washington will do so in consultation with its NATO allies and Russia.