WASHINGTON - The top Republican in Congress on Tuesday assailed President Barack Obama's "reset" policy with Russia as contrary to U.S. interests and values and urged him to rethink his approach in light of Vladimir Putin's impending return to the Kremlin.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner, in prepared remarks for a rare speech on foreign policy, warned that Russia's response to Obama's much-vaunted outreach was "nothing short of an attempt to restore Soviet-style power and influence."
Pushing for a tougher line, Boehner pressured Obama not to agree to Russia's long-sought accession to the World Trade Organisation until Moscow settles a territorial dispute with neighboring Georgia, a U.S. ally, stemming from their brief 2008 war.
In an address to the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, he also urged the Obama administration to do more to "compel" Russia to curb its ties with Iran, particularly on nuclear and missile technology, and called for a stronger effort to get Moscow to address human rights concerns
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