Speaking at a meeting with the 25 EU leaders in Lahti, Finland, on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Georgia of a "bloodbath" if it attempted to wrench back control of breakaway regions Abkhazia and South Ossetia with military force.
He placed the blame for a recent deterioration in Russia-Georgia relations entirely on Tbilisi.
"The issue does not lie between Russia and Georgia, the issue is between Georgia and South Ossetia and Abkhazia," Putin said.
PHOTO: EPA
"To our regret and fear, it is heading for a bloodbath. Georgia wants to resolve the disputes with military action."
Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away from Georgia in the early 1990s when the Abkhaz and Ossetian ethnic groups revolted against central Georgian rule and the regions are openly supported by Moscow.
Putin said that Russia had no intention of intervening directly in a "frozen conflict" resulting from the break-up of the Soviet Union and called on all sides to find a compromise.
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov warned on Oct. 8 that Russia would not "stay on the sidelines" if Georgia "attacked" the regions, where Russia has peacekeepers and most residents have been given Russian citizenship.
Responding to Putin's comments, the Georgian Foreign Minister criticized Moscow's tough stance against Georgia and pleaded with Europe yesterday to not remain silent as tension mounts between the ex-Soviet neighbors.
"We need your voice, the collective unified voice of Europe," Gela Bezhuashvili said in an interview. "Don't leave us alone."
Bezhuashvili accused Putin of "insulting the intelligence of his European colleagues."
"This is about a clash of values," Bezhuashvili said in a late-night rebuttal, delivered first in English and then in his native Georgian in the Georgian capital.
"Putin is using Georgia as a pretext to evade this simple fact. It is a clash between European values and practices and those that are practiced in Russia today.''
Bezhuashvili also insisted that Georgia wants healthy, neighborly relations with Moscow but that it will not tolerate "Russia's monologue."
"They still don't understand that we are different," he said. "That we see things differently ... Georgia is now appearing as a role model of a successful democracy in post-Soviet space."
"The last thing we want as a young democracy is trouble," said Bezhuashvili, who plans to travel to Moscow on Nov. 1-2 for what he hopes will be talks that calm tensions.
After Georgia temporarily detained four purported Russian spies, the Kremlin launched a transport blockade against the nation of 4.5 million, effectively severing Georgia from its main market. Moscow has also cracked down on Georgian migrants in Russia.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
A Croatian town has come up with a novel solution to solve the issue of working parents when there are no public childcare spaces available: pay grandparents to do it. Samobor, near the capital, Zagreb, has become the first in the country to run a “Grandmother-Grandfather Service,” which pays 360 euros (US$400) a month per child. The scheme allows grandparents to top up their pension, but the authorities also hope it will boost family ties and tackle social isolation as the population ages. “The benefits are multiple,” Samobor Mayor Petra Skrobot told reporters. “Pensions are rather low and for parents it is sometimes
RSS