It’s not just Ukraine. Italia is putting pressure on Russia over the Georgia issue, alongside Germany, France and the UK
Eighteen years on from the Russian occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the four countries reaffirm their full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders
Key points
It is not only Ukraine that divides the countries of ‘old Europe’ from Russia, following the military aggression that began de facto in February 2014 and escalated into a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. In a joint statement released in the last few hours, Italia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom have refocused attention on the Georgia issue.
The anniversary of the Russo-Georgian war
The occasion was provided by an anniversary. On 7 August 2008, the war in South Ossetia (also known as the Second Ossetian War or the Russo-Georgian War) began. During the night of 7–8 August, the Georgian armed forces launched a large-scale military offensive to regain control of South Ossetia, a pro-Russian separatist region that had declared de facto independence from Georgia in the early 1990s. The operation included an attack on and the bombardment of the Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali. This event provoked an immediate response from Russia, which intervened militarily in support of the Ossetian and Abkhaz separatists, leading to an open conflict that lasted around five days and ended with a Russian victory, Moscow’s subsequent recognition of the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and the permanent presence of Russian troops in these territories.
Russia’s occupation of Abkhazia and South Ossetia
‘7 August,’ reads a joint statement by the four countries, ‘is a date on which we remember the grave consequences of Russian imperialism. On this day in 2008, the Russian Federation launched military action against Georgia, further undermining the country’s territorial integrity through the occupation of the Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Eighteen years on from the Russian aggression,” the document continues, “we reaffirm our full support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.”
The Republic of Naoero’s move
“We welcome the decision by the Republic of Naoero to withdraw its recognition of the so-called independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” the four countries added. “We urge those states that have established diplomatic relations with these entities to follow this example.”
Condemnation of the Russian military presence
“We reiterate our condemnation of Russia’s ongoing military presence in the occupied separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in breach of international law and Russia’s obligations under the six-point agreement of 12 August 2008. Russia’s continued militarisation of the occupied Georgian territories poses a serious threat to Georgia’s security and to regional and European stability,” the statement reads.
