Washington, D.C. ? The Pentagon’s top officer on Monday said that the U.S. should resist expanding its military isolation of Russia, arguing that the nations have too many common interests for relations to become more strained in the wake of Russia’s incursion into Georgia last month.

Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said measures taken after the conflict – including the cancellation or postponement of military exercises and visits – might have been warranted. But continuing such practices could be counterproductive, he said.

“In a crisis, there’s always an immediate reaction; we did that,” Mullen said during a meeting with the Los Angeles Times’ editorial board. “I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater here. They’re going to be an important player for a long time, and we are going to have to have a relationship with them.”