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August 28th, 2008
12:40 PM ET

Putin accuses U.S. of orchestrating Georgian war

Russia is at odds with the west over Georgia, but is it a new Cold War? CNN's Robin Oakley weighs up the rhetoric.
Russia is at odds with the west over Georgia, but is it a new Cold War? CNN's Robin Oakley weighs up the rhetoric.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to benefit one of its presidential election candidates.

In an exclusive interview with CNN's Matthew Chance in the Black Sea city of Sochi Thursday, Putin said the U.S. had encouraged Georgia to attack the autonomous region of South Ossetia.

Putin told CNN his defense officials had told him it was done to benefit a presidential candidate - Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama are competing to succeed George W. Bush - although he presented no evidence to back it up.

"U.S. citizens were indeed in the area in conflict," Putin said. "They were acting in implementing those orders doing as they were ordered, and the only one who can give such orders is their leader."

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino blasted Putin's statements, saying they were "patently false."

"To suggest that the United States orchestrated this on behalf of a political candidate just sounds not rational," she said.

U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Robert Wood concurred, and labeled Putin's statements as "ludicrous."

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Filed under: Global 360°
soundoff (54 Responses)
  1. Al

    I wonder why CNN does not quote the complete exclusive interview with Putin and show only a few sentences? In Russia we heard much more. Does CNN believe that the Russian PM told much more than free America should know?

    August 29, 2008 at 9:57 am |
  2. Keith

    Note to Michael J Arch: It's pretty late in the day to defend international law. Now if you want to defend the UN and the Kyoto Accord I'm all ears. Otherwise...shhhh.

    August 29, 2008 at 6:50 am |
  3. Neil

    Very typical russian if you ask me, always trying to pass the blame, for them it seems the cold war never ended, its all about what the believe and not what they do.

    August 29, 2008 at 6:04 am |
  4. Alexandra

    "Drop your silly Atlantic solidarity and support us", Putin tells West

    Times Online, UK
    September 15, 2007

    Who is Mr. KGB kidding? His statement a year ago (see above) proves that all he wants is for NATO to dissolve! His new conspiracy theory that the US is behind the Georgian war is just sheer lunacy!

    But of course, Putin knows darn well that there are plenty of naive and geopolitically inept Americans that will believe him!

    I am curious... how many of you – Putin believers – know what the "Truman Doctrine" was all about???!!!

    If you do not know the answer to this question you should go learn some European/World history! Only then you can make some intelligent comments regarding global political issues!

    August 29, 2008 at 3:35 am |
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