Russia and Georgia

Russia alongside South Ossetians have ethnically cleansed the remaining 20,000 Georgians from their villages in South Ossetia follwing the war this month. The hypocrisy here is that Albanians ethically cleansed Serbs from Kosovo, to which Russia is protesting about, and yet has done the same thing in South Ossetia. Russia refuses to recognise Kosovo but will recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

US President George W Bush made this commitment… saying: "Georgia's borders should command the same respect as every other nation's. There's no room for debate on this matter." This becomes a moral argument, with the Russians answering that after supporting Kosovo's unilateral secession from Serbia, the West is guilty of "double standards" in the Caucasus (source: bbc.co.uk)

Naturally one can argue that Russia has recognised the two regions as independent countries as a balancing act or bargaining chip for Kosovo, which the West has recognised. And again hypocrisy is apparent even with the West which is angered by Russia’s recognition of the breakaway provinces while yet pushing for the independence of Kosovo. This obvious double standards and flouting of international law. It has nothing to do with law or peacekeeping but expansionism.

Georgians were wrong to launch and attack into its two breakaway provinces which lead to their total separation from Georgia, but Saakashvili believed the West would help. How can he possible believe so? Because America said they might offer NATO membership? While simultaneously France and Germany would rather see it excluded due to their links with Russia. The President made a big mistake; his beliefs made him put too much trust in the perfidious West who never came to his rescue in the end, his actions have led to war and the loss of lives and now we that Georgia is about to change. Yet, as a sovereign nation, Georgia’s borders should be respected and negotiations should lead to a compromise, perhaps a federation. Which is why, despite launching an attack, Abkhazia and South Ossetia should remain in Georgia. The West should stop meddling in the Caucus and Russia should realise that if these regions gain independence what about all the small republics in the Russian Federation? I’m sure after this the US won’t hesitate in recognising Tartarstan if they ever claim independence.

And this brings me to my point. Why are Cypriots supporting Russia’s invasion of Georgia while our own country has been invaded by Turkey? Yes, I know South Ossetia and Abkhazia are different homogenous regions with their own language and Georgia isn’t mixed the way Cyprus was. But don’t you find it contradictory from Cypriots point of view? After all we didn’t recognise Kosovo nor do we support it, so why do we support Russia’s invasion of Georgia? The only argument for it are the links with Russia. And don’t they realize that siding with Russia they are giving impetus to recognise the occupied areas of Cyprus?