I fear EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana going on a mission now to talk peace with Putin (and his puppet Russian President Demitry Medvedev) is rather like British PM Neville Chamberlain going on a mission in 1938 to talk peace with Adolf Hitler. Because, as I have documented in a series of articles over the past few years, Putin is every bit as determined to reassert Russia’s Cold-War sphere of influence over Eastern Europe as Hitler was to assert his Nazi influence over all of Europe.
[Tensions simmering between Mother Russia and her former dependent territory, Georgia, The iPINIONS Journal, June 6, 2008]
Frankly, Russian President Vladimir Putinhas now demonstrated that he’s not only determined to emulate Hitler’s daring adventures but also that he has the military acumen for strategic planning to ensure his success.
After all, it was nothing short of genius for Putin to wait until he was embracing fellow world leaders at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympics to order his tanks to invade Georgia. And I doubt he cares one bit about this being tantamount to raining on China’s “coming-out” parade.
More to the point, he now has two weeks to consolidate his controlover the Georgian province of South Ossetia before world leaders even begin their perfunctory denunciations…in earnest.
Indeed, Georgia calling on the US and EU to come to its aid is rather like the tiny Caribbean country of Grenada calling on the Soviet Union to come to its aid after the US invaded in 1983.
But, just for good measure, Putin will undoubtedly justify his order to invade by claiming that he acted to defend Russian citizens (against ethnic cleansing) just as then US President Ronald Reagan justified his order to invade Grenada by claiming, clearly speciously, that he acted to protect American citizens (against attacks by Cuban-backed mercenaries).
Of course, the real reason stems from Putin’s need to teach Georgia’s gregariously pro-Western president, Mikhail Saakashvili, a lesson (one, no doubt, which he hopes will serve as a dire warning to the leaders of all of the other former Soviet Republics on Russia’s border). And that lesson is that Putin will not tolerate any of them establishing military alliances with the West (i.e. NATO); and if that means bombing them to prevent such fraternization, so be it!
Hail Putin!
Related Articles:
Tensions simmering between Russia and Georgia
Legacy Note: With over 5,600 posts spanning 20 years, I am easily the most prolific blogger on the most eclectic array of topics on the web. That makes The iPINIONS Journal an unparalleled archive of informed political and cultural commentary. Visit the ARCHIVES section in the sidebar or search by topic. You won’t find a more consistent, independent voice on world affairs.
Matt says
Huh? Have you been following the story at all? That was Georgia that started fighting – like 3 hours after they stroke a cease fire with the Osetians. Gee… Is everyone plain brainwashed these days?
Anthony L. Hall says
Matt,
If you take a moment to read my related articles, you would discover that I’ve been following this story for almost two decades.
(BTW, determining who started the fighting requires an understanding of the geopolitical forces that attended the disintegration of the USSR, which makes figuring out the chicken and egg riddle seem straight forward.)
But instead of implying that you are simple-minded, I shall suffice to remind you that the Georgians are fighting today primarily against Russians who have invaded their country on the pretext of defending the “Ossetians.”
gao says
for almost two decades so there is enough time to tune the words on stories, dude.