"The United States and its allies must find ways to manage differences with Russia but stand up for its principles when security or other interests are at stake. NATO should never recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. We should continue to open NATO's door to European countries such as Georgia and Ukraine and help them meet NATO standards," declared U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In his turn, Russia's Envoy to NATO Dmitry Rogozin noted in Brussels that "for 99 per cent there will be taken a decision in favour of Russia. In the person of Russia the West sees a partner on which she cannot wipe her feet," he said. Rogozin believes that both sides have grown stronger after the crisis following the August war. The crisis has done everyone good."

NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer spoke for the normalization of bilateral relations too. Before the summit Scheffer announced that relations between Russia and NATO have improved enough to reestablish official contacts. "We have obvious common interests with Russia: Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, the fight against proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and others," he said. He also expressed hope that next meeting between Russia and NATO would take place in the near future.

The Russia-NATO relations broke off after the August war between Georgia and South Ossetia. However, the Alliance calculated that pleasing Mikhail Saakashvili in his exorbitant ambitions had a negative impact on the highly arduous mission in Afghanistan, so there was made a decision to sacrifice Georgia, especially since the August war was mainly the fault of the Georgian President. It's quite another matter that Russia perhaps overused force, but it should not be forgotten that «great powers» always overdo everything. In the 80s the USA sent divisions of marines to the tiny State of Grenada, but everyone in the USA has already all forgotten about it. In the same way everyone will forget about the «compulsion to peace». Presently NATO has to solve most important problems concerning provision of contingent in Kabul. And if we also take into account that the air base "Manas" may really be closed by the end of the current year, Russian transit becomes necessary as the breath of life.

Russia has offered to transit through her territory civil goods to the military forces under NATO supervision in Afghanistan, which is becoming extremely important with the situation being awfully unstable on the supply routes passing through Pakistan.

As for Ukraine and Georgia's membership in the alliance, in the words of ex-President of Ukraine Leonid Kuchma, cooperation with NATO will be favourable both for the Ukraine and for Georgia, however the talks on these countries' accession to the Alliance have no future. "My position concerning this issue is unchanged - I stand for active cooperation with the Alliance. But Kiev had better give up this idea now. It is quite obvious and natural that after the latest occurrences in the Caucasus, NATO treats Ukraine and Georgia differently," noted Kuchma. He also advised Tbilisi not to use the August events in seeking intimacy with NATO.