Comments on: Remember that whole Russia-Georgia thing? http://registan.net/index.php/2009/01/12/remember-that-whole-russia-georgia-thing/ All Central Asia, All The Time Fri, 25 May 2012 20:24:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Joshua Foust http://registan.net/index.php/2009/01/12/remember-that-whole-russia-georgia-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-379341 Joshua Foust Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:11:38 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/01/12/remember-that-whole-russia-georgia-thing/#comment-379341 About your middle graf, I'm not certain. We didn't exactly have a happy-go-lucky relationship with Russia beforehand. Also, there is this to consider: the stipulations of Russia's peacekeeping duties in Abkhazia and South Ossetia required it to get involved should Georgia make an incursion. Up until they crossed into Georgia proper, Russia was behaving according to international norms in support of a UN-mandated peacekeeping mission. When they got to Gori, and Poti, and began sinking ships and dropping bombs on mainland Georgia, they crossed the line. THAT is where the condemnation of Russia should have come into play. But Georgia, it seems, has a better PR machine in the West. And they got rewarded for it. And now the U.S. is stuck with a "vital strategic partner" that starts wars for... well I still haven't figured out why this one had to happen. About your middle graf, I’m not certain. We didn’t exactly have a happy-go-lucky relationship with Russia beforehand.

Also, there is this to consider: the stipulations of Russia’s peacekeeping duties in Abkhazia and South Ossetia required it to get involved should Georgia make an incursion. Up until they crossed into Georgia proper, Russia was behaving according to international norms in support of a UN-mandated peacekeeping mission. When they got to Gori, and Poti, and began sinking ships and dropping bombs on mainland Georgia, they crossed the line.

THAT is where the condemnation of Russia should have come into play. But Georgia, it seems, has a better PR machine in the West. And they got rewarded for it. And now the U.S. is stuck with a “vital strategic partner” that starts wars for… well I still haven’t figured out why this one had to happen.

]]> By: James http://registan.net/index.php/2009/01/12/remember-that-whole-russia-georgia-thing/comment-page-1/#comment-379338 James Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:05:45 +0000 http://www.registan.net/index.php/2009/01/12/remember-that-whole-russia-georgia-thing/#comment-379338 The strategic calculus of this pact is to poke Moscow in the eye just one more time before leaving office. And who really cares? Not Russia. It's a meaningless agreement from a meaningless administration. Wouldn't it also be "rewarding aggression" to go on with business as usual with Russia after this invasion? That's what Sarkozy did. It's interesting that so many commenters gave you slack for pointing out the obvious. Since the invasion, the RTS is down about 75%, the ruble has lost 20% of its value (and that is still inflated above true value), and the reserves depleted by more than a quarter. The strategic calculus of this pact is to poke Moscow in the eye just one more time before leaving office. And who really cares? Not Russia. It’s a meaningless agreement from a meaningless administration.

Wouldn’t it also be “rewarding aggression” to go on with business as usual with Russia after this invasion? That’s what Sarkozy did.

It’s interesting that so many commenters gave you slack for pointing out the obvious. Since the invasion, the RTS is down about 75%, the ruble has lost 20% of its value (and that is still inflated above true value), and the reserves depleted by more than a quarter.

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