Question by Greg D: Georgia and Russia?
Can someone please explain to me what the issue is with Georgia and Russia?
Answers and Views:
Answer by Pfo
During the Cold War, Russia sought to expand its territories. It used to own Georgia, until the USSR collapsed and Georgia got its independence. Ever since then, Russia has desired to reacquire these satellite territories. In particular, South Ossetia has more Russians than Georgians. Gori, which is in South Ossetia, is also Stalin’s birthplace.
I think Georgia started it by sending a small force of soldiers on a peacekeeping missions into South Ossetia, which is Georgian territory.
Russia responded with full force. They occupy the territory currently as peace talks are under way, but the Georgian military suffered an awful defeat, it was practically wiped out.
Answer by Robert G
russia wants to intimidate eastern europe and bully them into not joining nato and falling under western influence. russia particularly wants to control georgia because of oil and natural gas delivery routes from russia to the black sea. russia wants to cause angst in the energy markets to keep oil prices high since they survive on energy exports. (they don’t want the price of oil to keep dropping)
Answer by Money Spender
There is a small land inside Georgia called Ossetia that have a large russian settlers there. Well, these russians settlers proclaimed Ossetia a land of russian sovereignty but georgian government repelled them and the russian government helped them (the settlers) fighting the georgian government. That´s it.
Answer by BLIMEY!! Ironik
http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/opinion/?id=27398
This article explains is extremely well.
Answer by GunnyC
Clearing up some things first Gori is not in SO and is about 30 miles from SO and the reason that SO has more Russians then Georgians is because the Russians made the people in SO citizens when the “Russian Peacekeepers” went in. Prior to that time the South Ossetian area had been Georgia and that had been true for a very long time dating back the the Czarina Catherine the Great, the entire area was free from 1919 to 1921 until the communist took it over, but even the Soviet Union made both of the provinces in question part of Georgia and not different states within the Soviet Union. The issue is real simple the Russians feel they are losing influence because the former Warsaw Pact countries and other areas they controlled when they were the USSR are turning to Western Europe and the US instead of staying under their power. The invasion of Georgia was because the Russians saw an opportunity (or staged it) and then reacted to not only punish Georgia but to also send a message to the Ukraine in particular, and other former Soviet states and everyone else i the area that they can still attack and will if they choose too.
Answer by teranam92
Well you are about a week too late for the juicy details but basically the issue now is how much military force the Russians are going to leave inside Georgia proper. Forget about the break away provinces of Abhazia and So and No Ossetia. When Saakashvili ( President of Georgia) bombarded a city of 15,000 people into rubble ( full of russian citizens) he ended his possibilities of getting any kind of autonomy agreements with these folks. With the Ukrainians acting foolishly like they plan to kick the Russian Black Sea Fleet out of Sebastapol in 20019 when the lease expires makes it possible that the Russians will hang onto Poti, a Georgian port on the Black Sea. Russia has always needed southern ports and may negotiate some kind of agreement with the Syrians for such ( you can’t have too many ports in a storm).
The Americans are pulling all their strings and doing a lot of self righteous chest beating which no one is listening to since they set
up this idiot Saakashvili for just the fall he received plus they hardly have a pristine moral record. Remember when they took over a whole little island called Grenada when their citizens were threatened? The Issue is that the US is planning to sponsor Georgia for membership in
NATO along with Poland and the Balkan States and to put advanced missiles-defense only of course! in these countries which abut on Russia which makes the Russians anxious.
Answer by dear tat
Russia has nothing to do with this. Georgia attacked Ossetia with armed forces and started killing civilians and peacekeepers. Russia had to defend Ossetians civilians. Any country would do the same Russia did.
Georgia cannot live with its neigbor peacfully that is the problem.
If 99% of people in the republic want to get separated from Georgia they should be allowed to do so. Especially after Georgians started to kill civilians second time. The first time it happened in 1992. Back then Boris Yeltsin sent troops to South Ossetia to calm down Georgians the same way Putin has done now.
This conflict is 16 years old. Nothing new exept the fact that Georgia is the US ally now.
Georgia got its independence from USSR in 1992 after Boris Yeltsin signed an agreement between Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia for these 3 countries to become independent from each other and all other former soviet republics including Georgia. After that Georgia became independent. South Ossetia, North Ossetia and Abkhazia wanted their independence from Georgia too. Georgia did not want that. That was when the conflict began.
What I said is the pure facts. Anything beyond this is just propoganda and lie in order to confront Russians and Americans.
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Annonymous says
And if you want to know what is the issue between Russia and Georgia, the answer is simple: Russia is doing what it has been tryng to do for centuries-ivade whole Caucasus! South Caucasus is very important region for Russia. Putin wants to rebuild USSR and invade Georgia and Ukraine, that are willing to join NATO and Europe in General.
Yes, and almost forgot: dear tat, you have NO idea what are you talking about, or you don’t want to know the truth! First of all, North Ossetia isn,t in Georgia. And secondly, all of Caucasus, especially Chechnya wants to be independt, so why did you invade Chechnya in 1999-2000? if South Ossetia (although it doesn’t exist) deserves independence, then let North Ossetia ( a real Ossetia) be independent from Russia, too! Anyway, every empire collapses, and Caucasus will be free and united in future! Russia will be punished for what it has been doing for the last centuries to Georgia-the country of Virgin Mary!
Annonymous says
God, forgive our enemies! I have read your comments and WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GUYS?! The only true answer was written by Robert G! First of all, THERE IS NO SUCH REGION AS SOUTH OSSETIA! Ossetia is one, and it has always been located in Northern Caucasus. You know that Georgia has always had various enemies. So, during the ivasions of Mongols, Turks and many others Ossetians used to come down from the mountains and settle in the Georgian region of Samachablo. Our kings expelled them many times from that region, but in the times of crisis they still used to settle there. After Soviet invasion of Georgia, Bolsheviks called that historical Georgian region South Ossetia. After many years, Ossetians really beleived that Samachablo was an Ossetian land. The first conflict occured in 1991-1992, just before the war of Abkhazia. In both confilcts the separatists got a sagnificant Russian (and north Caucasian) millitary and economical support. As a result, these regions were separated from Georgia excluding few territories controlled by Georgia. In 2008, Russia provoked a war to interrupt Georgia from joining NATO. Yes, that war was intentionally provoked by PUTIN! As a result, Georgia completely lost control over these territories. Russia strengtherned its positions in South Caucasus.
Samachablo and Abkhazia are pure Georgian lands! Tskhinvali, Kvaisi, Java, Akhalgori are Georgian-founded cities! Even every village in Samachablo is Georgian! And Russia has nothing to do with it! The same thing is with Abkhazia. Pichori, Gali, Tqvarcheli, Gulripshi, Sukhumi, New Aton, Gudauta, Pitsunda, Pskhu, Gagra are Georgian-founded cities, and Abkhazia has always been in Georgia. In fact, Abkhazia was the name of western Georgia. Even the cities: Sochi and Tuapse has always been Georgian that are now in Russia, Krasnodar Krai. These towns are also Georgian-founded.