Russia, Georgia: Unilateral Recognition of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's Independence

See Global Voices special coverage page on the South Ossetia crisis.

Russia has formally recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia today. Below are some of the initial reactions from LiveJournal's Cyrillic sector.

Russian LJ user sholademi (Samson Sholademi) writes (RUS):

[…] Now the most interesting part begins… P.S. The line has been crossed, sort of. Though, in the past two weeks, since the beginning of the war in Georgia, everything that Russia does, for the first time in several years, does not cause me to feel outraged and critical (despite my “love” for Putin & Co.). Quite the opposite: everything's been done correctly. Long live the isolation! Hm… And what do you think about the recognition of Abkhazia's and South Ossetia's independence?

A few comments:

lyks:

Isolation – that's a good point. Soon we'll be traveling withing clearly defined borders, right? Farewell, India, goodbye, America […]?

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schtv_girl:

I think that we can, at last, be proud of our country! Regardless of how controversial it all is, regardless of how much they are accusing us of double standards, we've become strong! Russia is coming back! Join the action! […]

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zenya_zenya:

…………..Couldn't care less……….Absolutely……..

***

kirill_praha:

I think that those who live in Russia and wants to travel around the world, they should consider moving. Or getting a dual citizenship, which is difficult.

***

sethnagh:

Great. Now a wide river of the money of the Russian tax-payers will flow to these new “brotherly republics,” damn it, to the stinking [Caucasus natives].

Georgian-Ukrainian LJ user vaxo (Vakhtang Kipiani) writes (UKR):

[…] You're a fool, Medvedev. Not a single normal country will support Russia. Now we'll see what a direct confrontation with the world is like.

A few comments:

yangel:

Such a scenario was to be expected (

***

viebelle

I have an impression that for the past couple of weeks [they couldn't care less and were doing as they pleased]. As for [Medvedev], I don't think he played the lead part in this.

vaxo:

Right, but he was the one to sign this order. And legally, he is the one responsible for it.

[…]

yangel:

[…] At one point, Turkey unilaterally recognized the independence of Northern Cyprus – do you think that Turkey has spent all these years in international isolation?

***

deniko76:

With so much oil, Russia can afford self-isolation. But I don't really understand why they should prefer isolation and being surrounded by “a circle of hatred” to normal friendly relationship with the neighbors.

***

steel_archer:

Their oligarchs keep their money in Swiss banks, and their villas are in London. We'll see what kind of isolation it will be )))

***

a_kulik:

There won't be any confrontation with the world. If there hadn't been Kosovo, there would've been a confrontation. But after Kosovo, everything will be OK for Russia. America has exchanged South Ossetia for Kosovo.

***

ledilid:

And these people are not allowing others to recognize Kosovo… […]

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agrp_xtb:

Direct confrontation with whom? With small but proud Estonia? Do you still believe that there is “confrontation” between the United States and the Russian Federation? […]

Georgian LJ user djdrive (Misha Tavkhelidze) writes (RUS):

Looks like Putinodvedev has gone totally nuts. What are they pulling their country into?

1. War
2. Economic abyss
3. Disintegration

Russian, all of you who can, flee this country, while the curtain is still up! It'll be impossible to get a visa later.

One of the comments:

dimanklg:

Oh please. We are used to that.

Georgian-Russian LJ user som writes (RUS):

“Russia, you've gone nuts” (c)

I remember our answer to the civil defense teacher's question: What should you do if you see the nuclear mushroom at the horizon? – Pull a white bed sheet over your head and crawl to the cemetery.

Looks like the idiots believe that it's possible to win WWIII.

During the Caribbean Crisis, Kennedy and Khrushchev had enough of common sense to stop 20 minutes before the catastrophe. Will these ones have it, too? I don't really want to check.

Some of the comments:

psa_98:

Your lovely country (and especially two of its regions [Abkhazia and South Ossetia], whose population is smaller than Butovo [one of Moscow's districts]) aren't really worth a nuclear mushroom. I think that the Russian Federation is wrong in this conflict, but Saakashvili (and his curators from the State Department) have to be blamed equally – they've lost the game, too.

***

piligrim:

[…] Do you really think that Georgia is enough of a reason for the United States and NATO to start WWIII?

luarvique:

Well, Prince Ferdinand and Serbia were much of a reason, either…

a_gru:

And are you sure that only Americans and NATO states can start a war? Is there really no one but them out there?

***

pindle:

[…] I think Europe will thank us – quietly, of course. We've closed the situation, created a new, long-term and stable status quo, which is a lot more convenient for Europe than the previous one. […]

LJ user physik_alfa writes (RUS) in the ru_politics LJ community:

Personally, I pity Abkhazia. They've been basically equaled with the thieves from South Ossetia. They could've been flourishing on tourism… Slowly, perhaps, but on their own and without blood. And now Kremlin [thugs] will seize everything for themselves there.

A few comments:

vyacha:

The Abkhaz aren't that naive when it comes to foreign investments. According to their laws, a foreign (including Russian) company cannot independently get involved in, say, construction there, can't even open a branch […] office there. What's possible, though, are 50/50 investments with an Abkhaz [individual or company] […]. I don't think anything will change much now. They know how to count their own money.

***

afx237_v7:

I was [in Abkhazia] a couple years ago and learned a lot of interesting things. Turns out many touristic objects […] have already been bought (rented for 50 years, since the Abkhaz constitution does not allow to sell land to foreigners) by the Moscow guys.

LJ user dmitrivrubel has posted a graph illustrating what happened to the Russian stocks after Dmitry Medvedev made his Abkhazia and South Ossetia announcement at 3 PM Moscow time today:

LJ user onkel_hans commented (RUS):

In countries where economy rules, things like this lead to the fall of the government.

12 comments

  • William

    What goes around, comes around….Kosovo to Georgia It seems to me more than emotions in the case of Geogia….Probably more related to oil control. Russian military look good from tactical perspective but strategy is all wrong and will cost the Russian people one hundred times more than they could ever gain.

  • Rob

    So maybe it wasn’t such a good idea for NATO to support Georgia’s mass murder of 2100 Ossetian civilians and 8 Russian peacekeepers.

    Looks like war crime doesn’t pay after all.

  • […] | Given the current status of the conflict between Russia and Georgia, we have been hearing many comparisons on South Ossetia and Kosovo, and on the Russian intervention with that of NATO in […]

  • Joe

    It all comes down to this, if the West ever fought a war with Russia life on earth WILL all come to an end!!! There is now way these two parts of the world will ever fight a war because of this reason, total destruction. The one moron in all of this is Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvil. Seriously, what was he thinking? Did he actually think the U.S. could or would help him? It amazes me that he started all of this and now he wants to bring Abkhazia and South Ossetia back to Georgia as if nothing happened. Come on …. can the West really expect them to rejoin Georgia?

  • rebecca

    Russian peacekeepers?! don’t make me laugh rob…Oh wait. You couldn’t!
    Russia is wrong, wrong, wrong. Has only caused poverty and mayhem everywhere.

  • Anthony Teamson

    Probably just a few of the contributors to this forum understand the mentality of an American lawyer. Mikhail Saakashvil cannot believe he has been used as badly as a member of the worlds oldest profession. The USA told Mikhail Saakashvil that it loved him and even gave him money, but when the wife showed up the USA went running home; promising to return. I am truly sorry for the people of Georgia because the USA placed a delusional man as head of thier government. The United States is trying to gain control over the oil fields of western Asia and thought perhaps Saakashvil would be a cost effective puppet. They grossly miscalculated his judgment and when Saakashvil attacked the Russians the USA retracted its promise of marriage. Russia has just drawn a line in the sand in Georgia and it will not be crossed by NATO nor the US. All Russian did in its “Unilateral recognition” was inform Saakashvil that his dalliance is over.

  • B.Smith

    It’s some sort of relief (albeit a sad & small one) to see there are folks out there who see that a war between Russia and the West would be madness. It’s a pity that our leaders feel like they can play the nuclear brinksmanship game, edging us closer to catastrophe. Boo to Georgia, boo to Russia, boo to the U.S. and their pet project of missile defense. Some of us on this planet would like to see it not swallowed up in the embers of atomic warfare, thank you very much.

  • Al

    The blame game continues. Why do you Georgeans still not rid yourself of your mad president?

  • Yuriy

    >Russian peacekeepers?! don’t make me laugh rob…Oh wait. You
    > couldn’t!
    Russian peacekeepres was in SO from 1992 with UN mandate. Russian troops prevented killing civilians in SO. But they are not gods, and 2100 civilians ware killed by Georgian troops and Georgian peacekeepres.

  • lili

    Saakashvil ia a crazy leader. When the people imprison him! He killed so many civilians in SO. It’s so terrible. Why europian leaders don’t see that?Or may be they don’t want to see …

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