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Life Talk!

Georgia VS S. Osetia

k_milerl

Russian Federation

What are you think about it?

06:09 PM Aug 09 2008 |

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gkisseberth

Germany

BBC, CNN, and other west information portals report  that it is domestic affairs of a country.  I hope that our army to help  S.Ossetia well be independent country!

 

None of the western media I have heard have characterized this conflict as a domestic affair. Most of them are wrongly omitting the fact that Georgian troops attempted to take back control of S. Ossetia, and focus mostly on the Russian response. 

 

I suspect that Russia was merely waiting for this opportunity to "protect" the people of S. Ossetia and take control of both it and Abkhazia. I think it's likely they may try to take all of Georgia. One can only hope that other former Soviet republics will support Georgia as Ukraine has already done indirectly and they will only get those two provinces. 

07:41 PM Aug 10 2008 |

Levenchy

Russian Federation

Of course Russian officials would like Georgians to speak Russian…

Oh no, certainly! Russian people just want Saakashvili to shut up at all and stop killing Osetia's children and women.

 

05:03 PM Aug 11 2008 |

N1col@y

N1col@y

Russian Federation

05:19 PM Aug 11 2008 |

gkisseberth

Germany

Lets see, Georgia has pulled it's troops out of S. Ossetia. Will the Russians do the same?

 

(um, looks like they are moving into Georgia proper)

07:05 PM Aug 11 2008 |

gkisseberth

Germany

what are Russian's interests for occupation all Georgia ?

 

What were there interests when they invaded Georgia in 1921? I would imagine the same now. Control of a strategic location, a buffer area between them and potentially dangerous Islamic states, oil interests, Putin's desire to remake the Soviet Union. Keeping a border nation from growing ever more close to the US and the EU, and from joining NATO, inspiring other neighbors (Ukraine, Belarus,) to do the same. They've already lost Poland, the Baltics, Romania, Bulgaria and most of the rest of the old Warsaw Pact, now they're losing parts of the Old Soviet Union to the West. 

 

Don't underestimate the oil angle. 1% of the world's supply of oil flows through the pipeline in Georgia connecting Azerbaijan to the Black Sea. Now, Russia doesn't NEED oil, but they are already flush with cash as the price of oil has gone up and seeing the price continue to rise is certainly in their interest. 

 

What are they NOT interested in?  Saving any of the people of S. Ossetia, or any other region. All their bluster about wanting to protect Russian citizens and all the talk of genocide is just a cover for their attempts to either take control of Georgia or at the very least to keep them from growing closer to the West.  I suspect they will continue to make a change in the government of Georgia a condition for any cease fire or withdrawl and it's possible Saakashvili will agree if only to save his people from total destruction. 

 

i think the Russians will stay long time in S Ossetia and Abghazia provinces..

 

I agree with you on this one 

03:17 AM Aug 12 2008 |

N1col@y

N1col@y

Russian Federation

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04:43 PM Aug 12 2008 |

Nasim

Nasim

India

Say anything on the topic but I'd say they have really chosen a quite suitable time. No distractions. I wonder if peace would (in fact could) be resumed in that area even when the thing is settled.

06:40 PM Aug 12 2008 |

Keni

Keni

Azerbaijan

 I want only peace. Because a lot of innocent people(specially children) are killed during the wars.

07:33 PM Aug 12 2008 |

aljensen

aljensen

United States

Progression, blaming this on the United States is ridiculous. The conflict between Russia and Georgia is an old one, hundreds and hundreds of years old. Sometimes enemies and sometimes allies, it is a complicated relationship. The Russians would be doing this with or without NATO.

Historically, Georgia has always been closer to the West, it has had ties to Greece, Rome, and then the Byzantines, and has been a Christian nation since the 6th century, far longer than Russia. 

As far as Soviet politics go, it is more complicated than just "Russia is trying to take over everyone", we should remember that Khrushchev was Ukrainian and Stalin was Georgian. The Soviet Union was its own political identity, separate from Russia (although dependent on Moscow – which is an important distinction). There are many ethnic Georgians and other peoples from the Caucus mountains who are Russian, speak Russian, and consider themselves to be Russian, just as there are many ethnic Ukrainians who are Russian, speak Russian, and consider themselves to be Russian. In fact, I would say that while I was studying in St. Petersburg at least half of my friends were not ethnic Russians, but they spoke Russian and were Russian.

But it's true that the timing is perfect for a conflict – the whole world is focused on Asia and China now, and no one wants to do anything to disrupt the flow of oil. 

People forget that Russia is a multi-ethnic nation.. Even Pushkin was not purely Russian! 

 

 

03:47 AM Aug 13 2008 |