"It is no use denying that the Tskhinvali tragedy was a consequence, among other things, of policies conducted by the U.S. administration that were over confident and intolerant of criticism, preferring unilateral decisions," the Russian leader said in his first state of the nation address to both houses of parliament.
He added that "the conflict in the Caucasus was used as a pretext to send NATO warships to the Black Sea and furthermore to quickly thrust on Europe the need for deploying the U.S. anti-missile system, which in itself would prompt responsive measures from Russia."
Russia fiercely opposes U.S. plans to deploy 10 interceptor missiles in Poland and a tracking radar in the Czech Republic as a threat to its national security. Moscow has warned it would be forced to target its missiles at Poland if the former Soviet-bloc state goes ahead with the missile deployment.
He called for mechanisms to be established to block "misguided, selfish and sometimes dangerous decisions" by some members of the international community, adding that Russia would not give up its role in the Caucasus.
"We will not give up in the Caucasus. We will overcome the global economic crisis and emerge from it stronger," Medvedev said.
Medvedev said that Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia was "one of the most significant events of the outgoing year, which became a real test for Russia."
Georgia launched an attack on South Ossetia in early August resulting in a five-day war, that saw Russia recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway Georgian republics, as independent states.
