Russia criticizes U.S. for pulling nuclear deal

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Reuters

Russia said on Tuesday it regretted a decision by U.S. President George W. Bush to freeze a major bilateral civilian nuclear pact but said Moscow wanted nuclear cooperation with the United States to continue.

The United States said on Monday that Bush would withdraw the agreement -- potentially worth billions of dollars in trade -- from Congress. The move was widely seen as a penalty on Moscow for its actions in Georgia.

But officials in both Washington and Moscow said the step could ultimately save the agreement, possibly for a future U.S. administration, by preventing Congress from sinking the deal.

"We see the decision of U.S. President G. Bush ... to pull the agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear energy as mistaken and politicized," Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSWAT01000020080909