Clinton defends thaw with Russia
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says US re-engagement with Russia does not mean the US is giving way in its support for its allies.
Ahead of talks with her Russian counterpart, she told the BBC that Russia should have no veto over Nato expansion and no sphere of influence.
But she reiterated Washington＇s desire to start afresh with Moscow.
She was speaking in Brussels, after meeting EU officials and taking questions from young Europeans.
On Thursday, Nato agreed to resume high-level contacts with Russia, especially regarding co-operation over the Nato mission in Afghanistan.
Mrs Clinton said that was an important decision that demonstrated a willingness to change how the West dealt with Russia.
"We＇re going to press the reset button," she told the BBC＇s Europe editor Mark Mardell.
"We have a long list, on both sides, of matters [where] we＇re going to try to seek some areas of co-operation.
"Our efforts against terrorism, our efforts on behalf of arms control and non proliferation. Discuss areas where we think that we＇ve got to understand each other better and try to eliminate the friction - energy security, climate change, things like that.
"But," she added, "there are areas where we just flat out disagree, and we＇re not going to paper those over.
"We will not recognise the breakaway regions of Georgia, we do not recognise any sphere of influence on the part of Russia, and their having some sort of veto power over who can join the EU or Nato," she asserted.
Relations between the two nations have deteriorated in recent years over Russia＇s role in the war in Georgia, American support for Georgia＇s and Ukraine＇s entry to Nato, and the planned US missile shield based in Central Europe.
Mrs Clinton put some of the blame for that deterioration on the preceding US government of President George W Bush.
"There was a rather confrontational approach towards Russia in the prior administration. How much that contributed to Russian behaviour I think is a legitimate question to ask," she said.
Russia needs friends
Later on Friday she will hold a much-anticipated meeting with Russia＇s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Geneva.
Mr Obama said this week that he had sent a letter to Moscow linking Washington＇s missile defence shield with Russia＇s approach to Iran.
The US argument is that if Russia helps prevent Iran gaining nuclear weapons, there will be no need for the US to build its European missile shield, which Russia opposes vehemently.
Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons.
Mr Lavrov is likely to press other matters at the meeting, including Moscow＇s desire for accelerated arms control talks.
A Russian foreign ministry spokesman was quoted on Friday saying Russia looked forward to the talks "with cautious optimism".
It is very different from a few months ago, when Russia was blaming America for everything from the global financial crisis to the war in Georgia, says the BBC＇s Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow.
Russia is now in less of a mood to be belligerent, he says.
The financial crisis has left its economy severely battered, and right now it needs friends and investment, not a new cold war.
Earlier Mrs Clinton visited the European Union, where she was greeted by Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering.
She took questions from an audience of students and young people from EU and political institutions across Europe.
She was also due to meet the EU foreign policy "troika" of EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, EU External Affairs Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwartzenberg.
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