Georgia/Russia news: 29 AUG 2008
NOTE: This is an informational compilation. GMF does not endorse, either explicitly or implicitly, the content contained herein.
NEWS
Security Group Refuses to Back Russia’s Actions
New York Times (U.S.), David L. Stern, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: “Russia suffered a significant setback [in Dushanbe] on Thursday, as members of a regional security group in which the Kremlin plays an important role offered little support for Moscow’s military action in Georgia €¦Instead, the Shanghai organization, which also includes China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, took a neutral stance, urging Russia and Georgia to resolve their differences peacefully.“
Russia urges West to refrain from sanctions
Reuters, Conor Sweeney and Francois Murphy, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: “Russia on Friday urged European Union leaders to put aside emotion when they decide what action to take against Russia over Georgia, and the bloc’s appetite for sanctions appeared to be waning. Diplomats said they received signals from the Kremlin that Russia would retaliate if the EU imposed punitive measures when leaders of the bloc, which depends on Russian energy imports, meet in Brussels on Monday.”
Black Sea Turned into North-Atlantic Sea
Kommersant (RUS), Vladimir Solovyov and Georgy Dvali, 26 Aug 2008
Summary: Yesterday Russia’s military warned of the possibility of NATO ships maneuvers in the Black Sea. According to the Deputy Head of the Russian General Staff, Anatoly Nogovitsyn, there are nine military ships of the alliance, which “makes the situation in the region more intense”. A military and diplomatic source has even stated that Russia will have to confront shock units of NATO’s Navy, “which is operating under the pretext of shipping humanitarian aid to Georgia or conducting exercises.” Meanwhile American navies have reached the town of Gori, which was controlled by the Russian army.
Putin Asserts Link Between U.S. Election and Georgia War
Washington Post (U.S.), Philip P. Pan and Jonathan Finer, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: “Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he had reason to think U.S. personnel were in the combat zone during the recent war in Georgia, adding that if confirmed, their presence suggested”someone in the United States” provoked the conflict to help one of the candidates in the American presidential race.“
Russia Deal May Fall, a Casualty of Conflict
New York Times (U.S.), Peter Baker, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: Just three months ago, President Bush reached a long-sought agreement with Russia intended to open a new era of civilian nuclear cooperation and sent it to Congress for review. Now, according to administration officials, Mr. Bush is preparing to scrap his own deal €¦ Unlike more symbolic actions being discussed in Washington, like throwing Russia out of the Group of 8 industrialized nations, canceling the nuclear pact would involve concrete consequences potentially worth billions of dollars to Russia.”
Media Talk: Caucasus War Draws Interest
New York Times (U.S.), Pradnya Joshi, 24 Aug 2008
Summary: In an age when news organizations in the U.S. are cutting back on foreign coverage, the Georgia-Russia conflict received more coverage the week of Aug. 11 than the U.S. presidential election or the Olympics. Why? The coverage drew parallels with the Cold War €“ a foreign story to which most Americans can relate.
Medvedev Disappointed in Dushanbe
Moscow Times (RUS), Nabi Abdullaev, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: Moscow fell short of the diplomatic support it was looking for on Thursday, as Central Asian states and China failed to recognize the independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, offering instead only qualified praise for Russia’s actions in the Georgian conflict.
Russia Accuses UN of Double Standards over Georgian Regions
RIA Novosti (RUS), 29 Aug 2008
Summary: Russia has accused the UN Security Council of having double standards on South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and lacking understanding of the conflicts in the separatist Georgian regions.
EU Seeks Common Response To Russia
The St. Petersburg Times (RUS), Nabi Abdullaev and Nikolaus von Twickel, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: The European Union is likely to issue a condemnation of Russia’s recognition of independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia at an extraordinary summit in Brussels on Monday. But while some European politicians have called for sanctions, the meeting might shy away from imposing painful economic or political measures based on concerns that Europe is just as dependent on Russia as Russia is on Europe.
COMMENTARY
EU must give Kiev accession hope
Financial Times (UK), Editorial, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: “The pledges of support given this week to Ukraine by David Miliband, the UK foreign secretary, and other European Union ministers must be followed by concrete action. It is not enough for the EU to warn that Russia might try to build on its military victory in Georgia by targeting Ukraine and other vulnerable ex-Soviet republics. The west should respond €“ and the EU must play a big role in that response.”
Zeit Online (Germany), Michael Thumann, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: “Can a war be therapy? For many Russians the war in the Caucasus is something new. It is neither the existence-threatening German attack in WW II, nor the helpless permanent battle that characterized the Russian wars in Chechnya. If war is becoming short and controllable like the re-conquering of South Ossetia and the invasion deep into Georgian territory, then it may appear to lose many of its dark sides.” Thuman argues that for the Russian leadership and its propaganda, the war in Georgia heals the broken Russian self-esteem, that was hurt through a series of perceived humiliations by the West over the last decade.
Russia Profile (RUS), Sergey Markedonov, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: So far, only Moscow has recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and in the nearest future there is not much hope that the list of recognizing states will grow. Although Russia has repeatedly refused to recognize the two breakaway republics in the past, as soon as its own security was threatened, its attitude toward the two entities quickly evolved €“ the country does not want to be seen as weak and insignificant, while another refusal would have tarnished its reputation. Thus the Kremlin seems to have chosen the easiest way out.
Putin maps the boundaries of greater Russia
Financial Times (UK), Philip Stephens, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: “We need to get this straight. Vladimir Putin’s Russia has invaded a neighbour, annexed territory and put in place a partial military occupation. It seeks to overthrow the president of Georgia and to overturn the global geopolitical order. It has repudiated its signature on a ceasefire negotiated by France’s Nicolas Sarkozy and disowned its frequent affirmations of Georgia’s territorial integrity. Most importantly: all of this is our fault.”
Wer machtlos droht, hat schon verloren
Tagesspiegel (Germany), Gerd Appenzeller, 29 Aug 2008
Summary: “To threaten Russia only makes sense, if you can live up to it. In this respect, the EU seems powerless. In the long run Europe needs to open itself to other options €“ and at the same time keep in mind that its partner Georgia is not a democracy either €“ just like Russia.”
POLICY INSTITUTE ANALYSIS
After Georgia: Turkey’s Looming Foreign Policy Dilemmas
German Marshall Fund, Ian Lesser, 26 Aug 2008
Summary: “The Russian invasion of Georgia is a stark reminder of the unsettled nature of the Turkish geopolitical scene. By all indications, the crisis in Georgia is unlikely to end anytime soon. Even if Russian forces withdraw to negotiated positions, there is every prospect for a sustained Russian political and security presence in the country. Under these conditions, Ankara will once again face Russian power directly on its borders.”
Crisis in the South Caucasus: Turkey’s Big Moment
German Marshall Fund, Amberin Zaman, 25 Aug 2008
Summary: “As the only NATO member to border the Caucasus. Turkey control the Bosporus and Dardanelles, through which Russia and other Black Sea countries conduct most of their trade. The conflict between Georgia and Russia offers Turkey a unique opportunity to bolster its regional clout, to check Russian and Iranian influence, and to help secure the flow of Western-bound oil and natural gas from former Soviet Central Asia and Azerbaijan. Will Turkey’s leaders rise to the occasion?”
Russia’s Security Ties in Asia
Council on Foreign Relations (U.S), Jayshree Bajoria, 28 Aug 2008
Summary: “Amid growing international criticism for its military actions in Georgia, Russia is seeking support from some of its neighbors. At the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), on August 28, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev hailed”united” support from member countries China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan €¦some analysts see the SCO as a vehicle for Russia and China to curb U.S. access to the region’s vast energy supplies. SCO’s possible expansion, especially if it included Iran, would only add to Western suspicions against the alliance.”
