Russia, Georgia On the Brink of War

Posted on August 8, 2008
Filed Under Russia, Vladimir Putin |

We’ve been writing here at The Conservative Beacon for well over a year now about Russia’s desire, under Vladimir Putin and now Dmitry Medvedev, to re-establish some semblance of the former Soviet Union.

Russia has mostly used rhetoric and blackmailing has its tools to revive the former Soviet Union, but today we see that Russia has take military action against a Soviet breakaway country, Georgia:

Russia sent troops and dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles into the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia today, vowing to protect its citizens in a move described by Tbilisi’s pro-Western Government as an act of war.

In probably the most serious regional crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, at least 50 Russian tanks – and possibly many more – rumbled through the Roki tunnel, which cuts through the Caucasus mountains separating South Ossetia from the Russian province of North Ossetia.

The Russian incursion came after Georgian forces moved to regain control of the region that broke away along with rebel Abkhazia in the 1990s. Russia backs the separatists in both provinces and has its own peacekeeping forces there.

“One hundred and fifty Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles have entered South Ossetia,” President Saakashvili of Georgia told reporters in Tbilisi. “This is a clear intrusion on another country’s territory. We have Russian tanks on our territory, jets on our territory in broad daylight.”

There is more to this story. As you may recall last month Russia cut oil supplies to the Czech Republic. It is believe that this was done as a result of the Czech’s agreement to host a U.S. missile defense system, which Russia vehemently opposes.

Russian oil supplies to the Czech Republic have been cut by almost half after Prague agreed to host part of America’s controversial missile defense shield.

Czech officials have sought an explanation from Moscow about the reduction in supply, fearing that it could be retaliation for the radar base deal, signed last Tuesday.

Both Ukraine and Georgia, which have recently sought to distance themselves from Russian influence, have accused Moscow of “energy blackmail” designed to curb their independent spirit.

Russia briefly cut off all gas supplies to Ukraine in 2006, following a price dispute.

At the same time, President Saakashvili of Georgia accused Russia of being behind explosions, which cut energy supplies. Both nations are candidates for NATO membership, which Russia opposes.

I don’t know what it’s going to take for people to wake up and realize that a new Cold War is beginning. We know that Russia has close ties with Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba (which my soon house Russian nuclear bombers).

We have been on this situation from day one, and we will continue to write about any action that contributes to a new Cold War with Russia and its allies.

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