Russia's emphasis on the right to secede by restive regions of Georgia marks an abrupt turn away from a principal of territorial integrity championed in the past by Moscow, at least with regard to its own turf. Russia fought two wars in Chechnya to halt that region from breaking away from Russia. Mr. Putin, a fierce foe of Chechen separatism, used his first full day as president back in 2000 to visit the Chechen capital Grozny and cheer Russian forces there. He handed out medals and knives to soldiers.
Russia's embrace of the right to redraw boundaries has sent shivers through countries that were born when the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991. Russia's handling of the crisis in Georgia, is "worrisome," said Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves in a phone interview. He added that he phoned Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili on the first day of the conflict to express his support. "That's why we wanted to be in NATO. That's why Georgia wanted to be in NATO. And still does."
Mr. Ilves said Russia's argument that it is merely responding to a Georgian attack on South Ossetia is hard to believe. "This required a long-term, massive buildup with planning, so it's difficult to say this is a reaction to anything. This was fairly well coordinated, with ships coming from Sevastopol and 10,000 troops moved in in a matter of a day."
Russia's European neighbors, most of them former Soviet republics, have long accused Moscow of trying to undermine their independence by supporting ethnic Russians or those with Russian passports living outside Russia.
In recent years, for example, Russia has effectively bypassed Latvia as a route for its oil exports amid allegations that Riga is mistreating ethnic Russians living there. Russia sharply curtailed oil exports through Estonia last year, after the government there moved a Soviet monument from the center of the capital, Tallinn.
Ukraine, another former Soviet republic, has also had tense relations with Moscow. Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko, nearly died from dioxin poisoning in 2004 while running against a pro-Russian presidential candidate -- a poisoning that Mr. Yushchenko has linked to Russia. Moscow denies any involvement.
Mr. Yushchenko has developed close personal ties with Georgia's president, Mr. Saakashvili, a relationship cemented by the feeling that they share a common adversary in Moscow.
"They often call one another, give advice to one another," said Ivan Safranchuk, a professor at Moscow's Institute of International Relations. "The personal relationship is strong."
Mr. Yushchenko has already ordered his government to provide humanitarian assistance to Georgia. Ukraine is likely to step up pressure on Russia for deploying part of its Black Sea fleet, now based in a Ukrainian port in the Crimea, off the Georgian coast of Abkhazia. The fleet's presence in the Crimea is a divisive issue in Ukraine, with some Ukrainians calling for its eviction, and ethnic Russians calling for it to remain.
After he was elected president, Mr. Yushchenko called for closer relations with Europe, and to pursue eventual NATO membership, something that Georgia also wants. But Ukraine's room for independent action is limited by Russia's clout. When Ukraine tried to hold military exercises off the coast of Crimea two years ago, ethnic Russians protested loudly. The maneuvers were canceled.
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Russia's first war with Chechnya was indeed over independence. The Chechens won and were granted de facto independence. In 1999, the second war began when Chechnya invaded neighboring Dagestan. South Ossetia and Abkhazia similarly won independence from Georgia in the '90s. The mostly Russian peacekeepers were there under a UN mandate. Georgian soldiers killed Russian peacekeepers when they invaded. The idea that Russia should not respond when its citizens or soldiers are attacked is ludicrous - no country would accept this. Lastly, if Russia is the aggressor in this situation, why were all the refugees from Ossetia fleeing north, to Russia?
It was clearly a mistake for Russia to be installed as a "peacekeeper" in a region that it admitedly wants to dominate. It's like making an abusive husband the keeper of his ex-wife after the divorce. Bad idea.
Obviously a response is warranted when attacked. No one can argue, however, that Russia's response here was a reasonable one: they've gone entirely outside of the conflict zone and leveled an entire city among other things in what is supposed to be an independent country, bombing civilian homes from the air.
And lastly, great question: why were "Ossetians" fleeing to Russia? Take a look at who created South Ossetia (along with Abkhazia and Ajara) and how and when it was created and you'll have a better idea about why this entire situation leaves a bad taste in the palette of history.
By the way, there are also many Gerogian refugees fleeing into Georgia. The situation isn't as black and white as you may want to believe...
So when Ossetians say they are Ossetian, are they just confused? This sounds like Georgian imperialism to me. Abkhazia is Georgian, always has been, and really has no legitimate claim to independence. But the same cannot be said for Ossetians. Russia's actions outside of the conflict zone proved more limited than Georgia's PR accused. Gori was not 'leveled'. BTW, there were also Georgian peacekeepers in South Ossetia. It simply goes without saying that responsible international actors do not fire on peacekeepers - this is what thugs in third world dictatorships do. As for civilian populations, Georgians killed Ossetians and Russians probably killed Georgians. Unfortunately, they are always the victims of these conflicts. Perhaps if Georgia had not invaded South Ossetia, no civilians would have died. Furthermore, Georgia might have still had a chance at reunification - this is all but impossible now, due to Saakashvili's enormous miscalculation.
Ossetians are Ossetian. "North" and "South" Ossetia didn't exist before Communism. There was only Ossetia, and it consisted of the region north of the Caucuses currently called North Ossetia. "South Ossetia" was created by the Communists: they outlined a region in Georgia just south of the Caucucses and called it South Ossetia, allowing Ossetians to move in, living peacefully among the Georgians at the time.
When Communism fell, the people from Ossetia (north of the caucuses) who had moved to the south, didn't want to leave their homes on Georgian land. Hence, a divide in loyalties which brought about Russia's defense of its people living in Georgian land.
Yes, Abkhazians are Georgian.
You are correct, a few buildings do still stand in Gori, but the people who can have fled. A dear friend is pulling bodies out of the rubble there as I type this.
I don't dispute that Georgia attacking Russian soldiers who call themselves "peacekeepers" wasn't a good idea. But blaming Georgians for the deaths of the people in Gori is misplaced. More accurately, if Russia hadn't bombed them, innocent civilians would not have died. Let's lay blame where blame belongs.
Re: laying blame - so I assume you agree that Georgia is responsible for the 2,000 dead civilians in South Ossetia?
btw - the term 'peacekeeper' is not political, it is technical/legal. The Russian troops that were in South Ossetia prior to the invasion are considered peacekeepers under the 1994 UN ceasefire agreement between Georgia and South Ossetia. Just because they are Russian does not mean that they cannot be peacekeepers. And finally, just remember who took the first step in this conflict - it was Georgia.
I'm not sure where you're getting your information or whether you're actually reading my points as a reasonable and educated person, but I'll likely discontinue these responses, as yours appear to be heatedly mis-informed.
I gave you some history of the area and can give you more recent history: the majority of civilians dead in South Ossetia are dead because Russia bombed them. Yes, Russia dropped bombs both inside of and outside of South Ossetia, regardless of the civilian lives at stake.
I completely disagree with two of your points therefore. First, the Russians are responsible for most of the civilian deaths based on their bombing tactics, both inside of and outside of South Ossetia. Second, in fact, it is precicesely because the peacekeepers in the area were Russian that they could not be neutral "peacekeepers." They are and have been aggressors against an independent Georgia for centuries.
I encourage you to get your facts straight before engaging in heated or empassioned arguments about matters such as this. I wonder on what authority you're basing your opinions?
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