Russia reaps condemnation for recognition of South Ossetia
The United States, Britain and NATO have condemned Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for recognizing the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two breakaway regions in Georgia.Medvedev has lost the battle of perceptions on this matter. It is now clear that Russia exaggerated events in South Ossetia to use as a pretext for its aggression and is now trying to paper over that aggression with a recognition of the independence of a mouse of a country."This is not an easy choice to make, but it represents the only possibility to save human lives," Medvedev said Tuesday in a televised address.
He called on other countries to follow Russia's lead, which comes in the wake of the Russian-Georgian conflict which erupted earlier this month. But the decision was immediately denounced by the United States, Britain and NATO.
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Speaking to CNN's Matthew Chance, Medvedev said the move was in line with international law.
"It is internationally recognized that if a people based on all these [U.N.] provisions express their will to have an independent existence... any other state in the world has the right to recognize this independence whether you like it or not," the Russian president said.
Watch Medvedev recognize the breakaway regions »
He also noted that Russia "would like to avoid a new edition of the Cold War era."
Medvedev signed the order a day after it was overwhelmingly approved by both houses of Russia's parliament.
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said it was "clear around the world that Russia is acting as an aggressor state."
"My appeal to the free world is to condemn and reject Russia's dangerous and irrational decision -- not only for Georgia's sake -- but for the sake of preserving the fundamental basis of international law and order.
"In the days and weeks ahead we will work with the international community to prevent this decision from having any effect on the sovereignty of my country and from further undermining the international order."
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Saakashvili continues to be a more articulate spokesman for his cause despite the insults hurled at him by Russians.
Had the Serbian President Boris Tadic done to Kosovo, what Saakashvili did to South Ossetia, he would have been lynched in Hague, facing war crimes and genocide charges next to Karadžić. We in the west have a tendency to lack empathy for victims that are not in our immediate region. For the same reason we lack compassion for the separatist regions, (dare I say) north of Georgia. I think Russia has more understanding for these regions, and therefore understand the necessity of protecting the citizens from violence and to give them their craving independence, just like we in the west understood that Kosovo needed its independence. I sincerely think that, had the Russian peacekeepers not been there to push back the Georgian troops, there would have been a massive massacre of Ossetians. Even though Russia wants Saakashvili to face genocide charges, they may ironically have saved him from the very same charges by stopping his crusade before it went totally “berserk”. We in the west were just turning the blind eye, to an obvious massacre, frankly because the Georgian president has been kissing our behinds. But yeah… let us give them their independence… why should they be part of a land that they hate?… and why would Georgia want them in the first place? – oh… I forgot… oil-pipelines, and it is a nice cushion towards Russia’s alleged hostility. On the other hand… Russia could also consider giving independence to Chechnya then…
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