Here is a summary of the latest news and opinion on the Georgian Crisis.
The US Warns Georgia
The Bush administration warned Russia yesterday that it would fail in its “strategic objective” of redrawing Europe’s post-cold war map by invading Georgia, as 26 NATO countries declared there would be “no business as usual” with Moscow until it withdraws its forces from Georgia. An emergency meeting in Brussels of NATO foreign ministers voiced strong support for Georgia and agreed to establish new structures cementing Georgia’s links with the west, but avoided speeding up moves to bring Georgia into NATO. More from the UK Guardian.
Op-Ed in the New York Times By Mikhail Gorbachev
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has written an op-ed entitled Russia Never Wanted a War in the New York Times:
Russia did not want this crisis. The Russian leadership is in a strong enough position domestically; it did not need a little victorious war. Russia was dragged into the fray by the recklessness of the Georgian president, Mikheil Saakashvili. He would not have dared to attack without outside support. Once he did, Russia could not afford inaction.
Blaming Zviad Gamsakhurdia
The late Zviad Gamsakhurdia was the first President of independent Georgia. Fistful of Euro’s Douglas Muir takes a look at his role in the current crisis.
So, Georgia Georgia Georgia. Yet there’s one name I’ve hardly seen mentioned: the late Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the first president of independent Georgia.
That’s sort of strange. Because if there’s one man who’s responsible for the current mess in Georgia — more than Saakashvili, more than Putin — it’s Gamsakhurdia.
What to Do With Russia
Jerome a Paris of the European Tribune writes:
The Georgian crisis is fast turning into an opportunity to engage into a large-scale diplomatic/political campaign against Russia. The question is – does this make any sense? If the goal is to make Russia change its behavior, what can the West do to actually make that happen? More generally, what do we want from Russia, and does it make sense?
Unease in the East
As NATO ministers gather in Brussels to discuss how tough to get with Russia after the Georgian crisis, an opinion poll shows one in two Poles fear an attack by Russia. Eastern European countries are unhappy with the response of the West. A recent opinion poll shows that one in two Poles fears that their country will be the target of a Russian attack. The poll was published in news magazine Wprost which this week featured a drawing of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on its front cover with a Hitler moustache and the headline: “Adolf Putin.” More from Der Spiegel.
Wall Street Journal Editorial
The Wall Street Journal writes in an editorial that:
“Empty words.” That’s how Moscow glibly dismissed NATO’s criticism yesterday of Russia’s continued occupation of Georgia. The Russians may be bullies, but like all bullies they know weakness when they see it.
The most NATO ministers could muster at their meeting in Brussels was a statement that they “cannot continue with business as usual” with Russia. There was no move to fast-track Georgia’s bid to join NATO, nor a pledge to help the battered democracy rebuild its defenses.
Asked about NATO reconstruction aid, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer pointedly said, twice, that it would go for “civilian infrastructure.” So here we have a military alliance going out of its way to stress that it will not be providing any military aid. The alliance didn’t even cancel any cooperative programs with Russia, though Mr. de Hoop Scheffer said “one can presume” that “this issue will have to be taken into view.” That must have the Kremlin shaking.
It’s rare that I agree with an editorial of the Wall Street Journal but the time for gestures is long past.