Russia And Georgia

Summary of the situation, coming from Wikipedia.

Georgia was absorbed into the Russian Empire in the 19th century.

After the Russian Revolution, it had a brief period of independence, but was re-conquered by the Soviet Union in 1922.

In 1991, shortly before the implosion of the Soviet Union, George declared independence. The first elected president was deposed by military coup after 6months. Eduard Shevardnadze returned to Georgia in 1992 and joined the leaders of the coup.

He was elected president in 1995. At the same time, two regions of Georgia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, quickly became embroiled in disputes with local separatists that led to widespread inter-ethnic violence and wars. Supported by Russia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia achieved de facto independence from Georgia. Roughly 230,000 to 250,000 Georgians were expelled from Abkhazia by Abkhaz separatists and North Caucasians volunteers (including Chechens) in 1992-1993. Around 23,000 Georgians fled South Ossetia as well, and many Ossetian families were forced to abandon their homes in the Borjomi region and move to Russia.

• Abkhaz: A new constitution was adopted, on 4 November 1994, which declared Abkhaz sovereignty. Parliamentary elections were held on 23 November 1996, but these were not recognised by the Georgian government or the international community, as the elections were held after ethnic cleansing when majority of pre-war population had fled Abkhazia. The CIS imposed economic sanctions in January 1996 and the region is formally blockaded by both Georgia and Russia.

• South Ossetia: In 1992, Georgia was forced to accept a ceasefire to avoid a large scale confrontation with Russia. The government of Georgia and South Ossetian separatists reached an agreement to avoid the use of force against one another, and Georgia pledged not to impose sanctions against South Ossetia. However, the Georgian government still retains control over substantial portions of South Ossetia, including the town of Akhalgori.

In 2003, Shevardnadze (who won reelection in 2000) was deposed by the Rose Revolution, after Georgian opposition and international monitors asserted that the November 2 parliamentary elections were marred by fraud.

Following the Rose Revolution, a series of reforms was launched to strengthen the country's military and economic capabilities. The new government's efforts to reassert Georgian authority in the southwestern autonomous republic of Ajaria led to a major crisis early in 2004. Success in Ajaria encouraged Saakashvili to intensify his efforts, but without success, in the breakaway South Ossetia. These events along with accusations of Georgian involvement in the Second Chechen War, resulted in a severe deterioration of relations with Russia, fueled also by Russia's open assistance and support to the two secessionists areas.

In February 2008, the Assembly of Kosovo declared Kosovo's independence as the Republic of Kosovo. Abkhazia and South Ossetia both submitted formal requests for recognition of their independence to Russia, among other countries, and international organizations as a response to the recognition of Kosovo.

On March 6, 2008 Russia announced that it would no longer participate in the Commonwealth of Independent States economic sanctions imposed on Abkhazia in 1996. Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party of Georgia, warned Abkhazia would be "finally separated from Georgia" and cited the lifting of sanctions as the first sign. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, raised similar concerns about the dropping of trade restrictions saying, "That could look like a de facto annexation and that would be a matter of great concern if it were the case." Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said the European Union was concerned by what it considered moves by Russia to recognize Abkhazia. External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said, there was "a growing preoccupation and anxiety that Russia may be paving the way for recognition of Abkhazia," and stated the EU's support for Georgia's territorial integrity. Russian officials have warned that a move by Georgia to join NATO could force Russia to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia arguing that since the NATO referendum held in Georgia did not include the breakaway states it showed Georgia intends to join NATO without them.

In Apr2008 a Georgian unmanned unarmed aerial vehicle (UAV) was shot down over the Abkhazian conflict zone. Abkhazia's separatist administration immediately said its own forces shot down the drone because it was violating Abkhaz airspace and breached ceasefire agreements. But there were claims that it was a Russian MIG that actually shot down the UAV. This is denied by both Abkhazia and Russia, but was confirmed by a UNOMIG fact finding mission which represented its results on May 26.

On April 29, Russia announced it would increase its military presence in the South Ossetia region and threatened to retaliate militarily against Georgia's efforts... On May 6, 2008, the Georgian state minister for reintegration Temur Iakobashvili said Georgia was on the verge of war with Russia.

In July 2008, hostilities started between Ossetian militia and Georgian armed forces with both sides claiming having been fired upon by the other. This led to a full-fledged attack of Georgian armed forces with artillery and MLRS fire on Tskhinvali region (South Ossetia) on Friday August 8.

The Russian Prime-Minister Vladimir Putin said that the Russian Government "condemns the aggressive actions by Georgian troops in South Ossetia" and that Russia would be compelled to retaliate. Heavy fighting was reported in Tskhinvali for most of August 8, with Georgian forces attempting to push Ossetians slowly from the city. Next day, Russian tanks rolled across the border and are currently occupying the territory.

Aug20: Thomas Friedman finds fault with Russia, Georgia, and US pushing of NATO expansion going back to the Bill Clinton years.

A preliminary ceasefire was signed by Georgia and Russia on 15 August 2008. The Russian military has announced a ten-day withdrawal from advance positions, while Georgian authorities have expressed discontent with the rate and extent of the pull-back, and with the continuing Russian presence in port of Poti. On August 22, Anatoliy Serdyukov, the Defence Minister of the Russian Federation, reported to Dmitry Medvedev that "the Russian Army units used in the peace enforcement mission finished the withdrawal from the territory of Georgia by 19:50 Moscow time". Even so, Russian soldiers maintained a series of armed checkpoints along Georgia's main highway, leaving the Kremlin with the ability to cut off trade and traffic across the country and to isolate the capital, Tbilisi, from much of the nation... In Washington on Friday, a State Department spokesman, Robert Wood, said that by establishing the buffer zones, the Russians "failed to live up to their obligations under the cease-fire agreement." France expressed similar objections... Having grown increasingly angry over NATO expansion into Eastern Europe, the Russians believe that they have finally and justly struck back, according to analysts and officials in Moscow... The Kremlin has signaled its intention to remove Mr. Saakashvili in part by trying to isolate him. *

Aug24 update - Thousands of Georgians angry at the presence of Russian troops on the outskirts of the strategic Black Sea port city of Poti have taken to the streets in protest, demanding that the Russians move out. The demonstration came as a top Russian general in Moscow said his country's forces would continue to patrol Poti, even though it lies outside the so-called "security zones" where Russia claims it has the right to station troops in Georgia.