Graphic source: BBC
As Russian troops invade Georgia the French and the Germans, who import a great deal of their energy supplies from Russia, look the other way. Only the U.S., in the person of George Bush, has publicly condemned the Russian parallel to their 21st Century re-enactment of 20th Century imperialism. Bush used some of the strongest language against Russia since the end of the Cold War stating that this is a: "dramatic and brutal escalation".
I do not know which is more despicable, the Russian agression or the French and German cowardice in the face of naked agression. Russia, in shades of Hungary in an earlier invastion in 1956, or Czechoslovakia in 1968, is doing what appalled the world before: invading smaller, neighboring countries.
The Russians are entering Georgia by using the breakaway region of Abkhazia as an excuse since this appears to be a broadening of the conflict over South Ossetia.
Fighting erupted last Thursday when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia which, like Abkhazia, has had de facto independence since the early 1990s, the Russians appeared to back these moves previously.
The Russians though are clearly the aggressors, an EU-brokered peace agreement has already been signed by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili.
Not all countries, such as France and Germany, have been silent but they have issued statements: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland issued a joint statement saying that as "once-captive nations of Eastern Europe" they share a "deep concern" about Russia's actions towards Georgia.
Presidential candidate McCain also weighed in on the crisis, supporting his earlier statements on the conflict from months ago; Obama remains on the golf course vacationing in Hawaii.
Posts
