In the conflict between Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Transcaucasia could not be allowed to turn into a powder keg. This was announced on Saturday, August 8, by the Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev, who was in the post of President of the Russian Federation during these events.
“Then I made a difficult, but the only possible decision – to stand up for the defense of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, first protecting them from aggression, and then, at the request of their citizens, recognizing their full independence. Otherwise, Transcaucasia would have turned into a powder keg, which was absolutely unacceptable for Russia, which has always stood for the preservation of lasting peace in neighboring states, “Medvedev wrote on his VKontakte page.
On August 6, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that NATO threatened to apply sanctions if Minsk recognized the independence of South Ossetia. He stressed that he had no problems with supporting Abkhazia and South Ossetia, although he is “a devoted supporter of the integrity of any state and Georgia.”
In 2008, Georgian troops attacked South Ossetia, destroying part of its capital, Tskhinvali. Russia, protecting the inhabitants of the republic, sent troops there and drove out the Georgian military. The independence of the republic is recognized by Russia, Syria, Venezuela, Nicaragua and a number of Pacific island states.
Georgia does not recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states and considers them to be its regions. The border of South Ossetia with Georgia by the decision of the South Ossetian authorities has been completely closed since September 2019.