Georgia on our minds
Russian attack response to Kosovo independence, message to Ukraine
WASHINGTON – If you want to understand why Russia chose this moment to invade U.S.-ally Georgia in hopes of reclaiming South Ossetia, a province with fewer than 100,000 residents, you need to think globally, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
This is much more than the regional conflict it is portrayed as by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In fact, it has as much to do with the West's plans for Kosovo independence and Russian territorial disputes with Ukraine than it does with Russia's desire to punish Georgia, a former Soviet republic Moscow blames for the breakup of its empire nearly two decades ago.
NATO is moving forward with plans for independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo, a move that can only be understood in the context of an appeasement of the Islamic world. Kosovo has always been part of Serbia. It has never been an independent nation. But NATO chose to back a Muslim push for independence from Russian-ally Serbia.
Now Russia believes it has the moral authority to push for the same kind of "independence" for South Ossetia.
Combine Russia's humiliation over Kosovo with NATO's flirtation with admitting Georgia as a member and you begin to get an idea of how Moscow was feeling isolated. But it gets even more complicated.
Russia has similar territorial disputes with former Soviet republic Ukraine. The invasion of Georgia was also a message to Ukraine that Russia is serious about recapturing some of the glory of its former imperial ambitions.
In fact, Russia is already blaming Ukraine for supporting Georgia in a preposterous bid to "ethnically cleanse" South Ossetia of Russian nationals.
"The Ukrainian government, which has been enthusiastically arming Georgian troops from top to bottom, was in fact encouraging Georgia to attack and carry out ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
There are other Russian neighbors watching the conflict warily -- Kazakhstan, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Balts.
How will the U.S. respond to the Russian aggression? Probably with no more than words, because the Russians know Washington is still preoccupied in Iraq and Afghanistan and deeply concerned about developments in Iran.
WASHINGTON – If you want to understand why Russia chose this moment to invade U.S.-ally Georgia in hopes of reclaiming South Ossetia, a province with fewer than 100,000 residents, you need to think globally, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
This is much more than the regional conflict it is portrayed as by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.
In fact, it has as much to do with the West's plans for Kosovo independence and Russian territorial disputes with Ukraine than it does with Russia's desire to punish Georgia, a former Soviet republic Moscow blames for the breakup of its empire nearly two decades ago.
NATO is moving forward with plans for independence for the Serbian province of Kosovo, a move that can only be understood in the context of an appeasement of the Islamic world. Kosovo has always been part of Serbia. It has never been an independent nation. But NATO chose to back a Muslim push for independence from Russian-ally Serbia.
Now Russia believes it has the moral authority to push for the same kind of "independence" for South Ossetia.
Combine Russia's humiliation over Kosovo with NATO's flirtation with admitting Georgia as a member and you begin to get an idea of how Moscow was feeling isolated. But it gets even more complicated.
Russia has similar territorial disputes with former Soviet republic Ukraine. The invasion of Georgia was also a message to Ukraine that Russia is serious about recapturing some of the glory of its former imperial ambitions.
In fact, Russia is already blaming Ukraine for supporting Georgia in a preposterous bid to "ethnically cleanse" South Ossetia of Russian nationals.
"The Ukrainian government, which has been enthusiastically arming Georgian troops from top to bottom, was in fact encouraging Georgia to attack and carry out ethnic cleansing in South Ossetia," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
There are other Russian neighbors watching the conflict warily -- Kazakhstan, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Balts.
How will the U.S. respond to the Russian aggression? Probably with no more than words, because the Russians know Washington is still preoccupied in Iraq and Afghanistan and deeply concerned about developments in Iran.
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Joseph Farah will be my guest at 5 PM New York time Monday August 25 on News Talk Online on Paltalk.com.
To talk to him please go to www.garybaumgarten.com and click on the link to the show. There is no charge.
Thanks
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