The five-day war was an aggression

Said a Georgian analyst, assessing the Russo-Georgian war in 2008

Three years ago, on the night of August 8, the clash between the Georgian and South Ossetian military forces within a very short period of time turned into the Russo-Georgian five-day war that has been continuing on the diplomatic front to this day.
Yesterday “Aravot” had a talk with head of the International Center on Conflict and Negotiation, Georgian political scientist and analyst Georgi Khutsishvili particularly about the Russo-Georgian relations that reached a deadlock after the five-day war. “There exists a serious problem between Georgia and Russia and it is that, notwithstanding who provoked or started the Russo-Georgian war, how it went, anyway, it was an act of Russian aggression against Georgia and a fact of invading the territory of sovereign Georgia that is situated beyond the conflict borders. Any explanation that Russia was defending the population of South Ossetia is not adequate, because beyond the borders of that region one third of the Georgian territory was conquered by the Russian tanks, which was absolutely unnecessary from the military perspective. One must start from here, when talking about Russo-Georgian relations. In order to ensure the security of the population of South Ossetia, it was not obligatory at all to do what Russia did. I.e. the RF actions were a definite manifestation of aggression. As a result we have a serious problem, conquered territories. In this context, there exists a huge and unresolved problem between Georgia and Russia, but if a question arises, how to overcome that problem and how to live on, according to me, many things have to be done to carry forward a dialogue between two countries, in order to resolve the existing unresolved problems”, reaffirmed Khutsishvili, adding at the same time that it would never happen, since a deadlock situation had been created, because leaders of Russia Medvedev and Putin on one side, and Sahakashvili on the other were not able to talk. “It turns out that objectively Russo-Georgian relations can develop in a certain direction only after the leaders of the countries change”, observed the Georgian political scientist. However, in the case of the leaders’ change in Moscow and Tbilisi, is it possible that this country that has great-power pretensions will give up the pretensions to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. “It is hardly an accomplishable issue in the short run and it is hardly worth to expect that Russia will renounce its decision on August 26 2008 to recognize the independence of those territories. However, in any case if a positive dialogue is carried forward, if there are leaders who will be inclined to carrying forward the dialogue and if that dialogue is productive, one can think also about restoring Russo-Georgian relations. I do not rule out that possibility in the future, but in the near future I rule out, because Russia and Georgia are on such a level of confrontation, when it is absolutely pointless for Russia to revise its decision on Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Russia will do that in only one case, if Georgia becomes its vassal, i.e. offer its full and factual service to Russia to establish military bases on Georgian territory, to be a so-called representative of the RF on the international arena, to change its Western orientation and establish its relations with the USA and the rest of the world through Russia. And it will actually mean the loss of Georgia’s independence. I think only in that case will Russia revise its attitude towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia.” I.e. it is basically an unrealizable issue. In response to this remark of ours, Khutsishvili said, “Yes. I think that it is unrealizable, but despite that, Georgia must establish relations with its neighbors, including same Russia, even if it does not give up its pretensions to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, then at least it will contribute to forming an atmosphere of trust between Tbilisi and these regions. From the perspective of future one can do that we will always be in a deadlock, however he can also do that at least economic relations, in which Russia will not interfere, are established with Abkhazia and South Ossetia. I think however gradually it can contribute to normalization of Russo-Georgian relations. It is, certainly, a very long process that one must be ready for. I do not rule out that it is possible to do, in case of change of the leaders in both countries and some developments. I do not think that the situation is blocked or frozen to the extent that there is no way to change it.”