russia can go to war with Georgia after the so-called «referendum» in «South Ossetia»
Russia may go to war with Georgia after a so-called «referendum» in the Russian-occupied Tskhinvali region, the unrecognized South Ossetia. Georgian political scientist Vakhtang Maisaia tells Hromadske Radio.
On March 30, the head of the unrecognized South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, said that the «republic» intends to take «legal steps» to join Russia in the near future. Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani said talks about any «referendums» on the annexation of occupied South Ossetia to Russia were unacceptable.
«The President of Georgia has supported Ukraine. In response, the Kremlin signaled to us that it could annex the so-called «South Ossetia», ie the occupied territory of the Tskhinvali region. They want to hold a so-called «referendum» in May of this year.
I think that in this way Russia is threatening Georgia. If we do not support the Kremlin, if the government broadcasts a pro-Ukrainian position, then Russia can go to war against Georgia,» said Vakhtang Maisaia.
According to the political scientist, the «referendum» and the subsequent annexation of the Tskhinvali region are identical to Russia’s actions against Ukraine’s Crimea.
«Of course, the consequences will be Russia’s hostilities against Georgia. The Kremlin is playing with fire. The main goal of the Kremlin is to strengthen its geostrategic power in the Central and South Caucasus. They want to block the main highway connecting Tbilisi with the main seaports in the Black Sea.
Russia wants to increase its influence and have direct access to Armenia. After all, they have their 102nd military base there. I think that this decision may be influenced by the events in Nagorno-Karabakh. There, the Russian occupiers, who call themselves peacekeepers, provoked Azerbaijani troops into confrontation. The situation there is also getting worse,” said Vakhtang Maisaia.
The political scientist calls the United States, Great Britain, and NATO allies of Georgia.
On March 30, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine announced that Russia had sent about 2,000 troops to the war with Ukraine from the occupied territories of Georgia: South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
According to Vakhtang Maisaia, 300 so-called «Ossetians» fled the Ukrainian fronts and returned to Tskhinvali.
«They even talked about the horrors of the war in Ukraine. About how the brave Ukrainian military is fighting the Russian occupiers. It has had a significant impact on the people of Tskhinvali,” he said.
Not to mention, on February 21, the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin declared «recognition» of the pseudo-republic in the territory of the separate regions of the Luhansk and Donetsk areas occupied by Russia. And on February 24, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian occupation
Occupied by Russian troops, «South Ossetia» is Georgian territory. In 2008, after the Russo-Georgian war, a contingent of Russian occupying forces remained on the territory of the «republic», and an unrecognized government declared independence from Georgia.
Also listen to: How the 2008 war in Georgia began: eyewitness accounts
The UN has not recognized South Ossetia’s independence. The self-proclaimed government is considered legitimate by only five UN member states — Russia, Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Nauru. The war has remained «frozen» since 2008.
Also listen to: Conflicts with Ossetia and Abkhazia cannot be called frozen — Georgian Minister
In 2021in a victorious decision for Georgia the ECtHR directly recognized Russia as an occupying power.
On March 15, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe unanimously adopted an amendment declaring the unrecognized republic of Transnistria, on the Russian-occupied territory of Moldova.
And on March 31, the Japanese Foreign Ministry announced that it would officially call the southern Kuril Islands «the original territory of Japan, which is under the illegal occupation of Russia.»
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