by Anna Barkhudarova

Created on: September 01, 2008

The conflict that started in early August between Russia and Georgia (ex. U.S.S.R. republic) has a lot more to do with the divisions of spheres of influence than the sovereignty of a little Caucasian republic.

On August 7th Georgia launched offensive against Russian troops in attempt to regain control over two break-away regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that have been under Russian influence since the 1990s. Russians, in response, invaded Georgia claiming they are protecting their citizens and "cooling down" the hot-headed Georgian president who has been irritating the Kremlin ever since it came to power after the "Rose" revolution.

But the real reason for the conflict has been hidden and has to do with the geopolitical location of Georgia rather than the so-called "genocide" or peace-keeping mission.

Georgia lies South to Russian Federation and borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Turkey (and Chechnya). The western side of the country that includes Abkhazia has access to Black Sea. Through Tbilisi (the capital of Georgia) lies the Baku- Tbilisi- Ceyhen (BTC) oil pipeline. It is the second longest oil pipeline after Russian "Druzhba". Recently Georgia was viewed by oil giants as a reliable country with the US-backed government that could potentially be a host to a new pipeline that will bypass Russian territory and Russian government. The Russian-Georgian conflict made a mockery of that claim showing how instable the region is.

Mr. Saakasvili, Georgian president, who has been backed by the US, NATO and most of the European Union countries, has made more ambitions plans for its little Caucasian country than just be a pipeline host. That included joining the NATO block, WTO and eventually, the European Union, which in turn tremendously angered its big neighbour that has always considered Georgia as part of its empire.

With the on-going conflict and ambiguity of the situation in Georgia, the prospects of joining NATO however small or big they were became minimal.

Russia had few things to lose by going in to Georgia knowing that there will be almost no consequences followed from the West. It needed to show its Eastern European countries, which in past were all part of the Soviet Union, it will not tolerate joining the NATO block and will not allow the West any closer to the Russian borders.
Georgian conflict was also payback for lost Ukraine, Kosovo, and now a response to Czech Republic and Polland singing the missile defence agreement with NATO hence becoming

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>