By MISHA DZHINDZHIKHASHVILI, Associated Press Writer Misha Dzhindzhikhashvili, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 26 mins ago

BATUMI, Georgia – A U.S. warship anchored off Georgia for joint military exercises Tuesday while Russian jets pounded mock targets nearby in a sign of lingering tensions over the former Soviet nation turned U.S. ally.

The U.S. and Russian maneuvers marked a stark change in tone from meetings last week between President Barack Obama and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, who expressed hope for repairing relations that have sunk to a post-Cold War low.

During meetings in Moscow last week, Obama warned Moscow to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia and reject the notion that it holds a zone of privileged interest among its former Soviet neighbors. Russia praised the U.S. administration, but made no concessions in its long-running dispute with the West over its role in the post-Soviet space.

Georgia is still seething over what it views as Russia's occupation of South Ossetia after the August conflict, when Russian tanks drove deep into Georgia before pulling back. Georgia had attacked South Ossetia, which has long had de facto independence, to try to reassert government control. Russian tanks and troops poured into the region and overwhelmed the Georgian army. Russia said it was acting in defense of locals with Russian passports.

Hopes have risen in recent months that the U.S.-Russia tensions that led up to that war would be defused under a new U.S. administration, but recent events in and around Georgia's mountainous lands suggest the two sides are still deeply divided.

The guided missile destroyer the USS Stout on Tuesday anchored off Batumi, where its captain, Commander Mark J. Oberley, was welcomed ashore with Georgian music and wine. The Stout is the sixth U.S. warship to visit Georgian ports since the war.

"This visit and the combined training demonstrate the U.S. and Georgian commitment to work together, to cooperate and maintain maritime security," Oberley said.

Two vessels of the Georgian coast guard are to participate alongside the USS Stout in Wednesday's drills in Georgian territorial waters between the ports of Batumi and Poti. Georgian Navy Commander Beso Shengelia said the small-scale exercises would involve averting a sinking after a hull breach, capturing a hostile boat, and joint maneuvers in conflict situations.

A couple of hours after the events in Batumi, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev peered through binoculars to watch jets fly over Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiisk and fire at nonexistent ground targets. He was shown on state-controlled TV.

Georgia's military cooperation with the United States irritates Moscow, which considers Western forays into Georgia since the war destabilizing.

The forthcoming naval exercises in Georgia and the Russian air force drills take to at least four the instances of cooperative military maneuvering in territory adjacent to the conflict zone since the five-day war.

Russia voiced outrage in May over NATO drills near Georgia's capital, Tbilisi, equating them to foreign interference in Georgia's domestic affairs. Russia promptly conducted its own exercises on a much larger scale near the Georgian border earlier this month. Those exercises ended on Obama's first day in Moscow, July 6.

Medvedev, meanwhile, on Monday made his first visit to South Ossetia since the war — a visit cast by Moscow as a show of solidarity for locals under perpetual threat of a new Georgia attack.

Georgia, which called Medvedev's visit a provocation, insists that South Ossetia is under Russian occupation. Thousands of Russian troops remain in the province, and the boundary with Georgia proper has been fortified. Only Russia and Nicaragua have recognized South Ossetia as an independent nations.

The port of Poti, meanwhile, is close to Georgia's de facto border with Abkhazia, another Moscow-backed breakaway province. Poti was occupied by Russian troops in the weeks after the conflict and Abkhaz rebels clashed with Georgian forces during the war. Moscow later also recognized Abkhazia.

seems its always about the Russia, must of you on here have never been to Russia, from what i heard from family in military back home in Russia. the Georgian army start this war, i can promise you, the mighty Russian army will finish them off once and for all. god bless the Russia army.

Certainly they will.

Just like Afganistan.

They finished that didn't they?

Did the georgians start it? Or did they simply send in troops where they saw a building Russian military were it did not belong.

I am curious, how can either side really know who started what? I think if the same thing happened here we would no more know then the general public in Russia or Georgia who started it, no?

We regular folks are at the mercy of our governments that don't exactly tell us the truth but use us to back one side or the other, never knowing if we are backing the wrong side.

Does that make any sense?

this is coming from a former Russian. the united states needs to mine its own business. usa has no room to talk. even if Russian attacked Georgians, the USA attacked Iraq for no reason. so people in glass house should not throw stones.

GARY got you another profile going...Whats it up to 8? Yes we know you love your beloved russia...

so tem are you telling me that you can have an opinion . but i cant. simply yes or no will do.

so tem are you telling me that you can have an opinion . but i cant. simply yes or no will do.

I have no problem staying out of all of. Let others step up and us keep our noses out...but that should go for past wars as well...like Kosovo and WW2...maybe

well first i no i will get booed out for saying this. if not for Russian winters. Germany had a chance of winning ww2.only problem i have is. USA thinks it got to be the peacekeepers in the hold world.

Well he!! yes.....Just its like WOW its Gary again...Im sure quite of few cant wait to welcome ya back....We love ya man!!!!

Hell yes to you can!!!! Cant wait for the fireworks!!!!

no hopefully there wont be no fireworks. i have been on this site for two months. you just notice.

You have so many profiles and names!!!!! Come on dude!!!

I don't think we should be world police. I don't like that idea. we need to let others step up instead of always getting involved. but countries can't have it both ways. it seems SOMETIMES with SOME people that they tell the US to butt out until they need our help themselves. JMO

yes in most cases you are right. but in Russia case. they have never asked USA for help. and never will. cold war may be over. but both sides still don't trust each other,

I agree...we went into Kosovo when it wasn't any of our business just like Iraq (but that is only my opinion) I understand wanting to help the people...but if they don't want help...we should stay out

yes we all have are own opinion, i admit mine is must likely bias.

so can anyone PLEASE tell me what I am missing here? I don't get why we stick our noses into all of this. I admit I may not know a lot about this subject, so any answers would be great

well can give a few points. we still our nose in to other people bussiness for oil money. and power.

what was our motive in Kosovo?