Russia is ready to use “military” force to protect its citizens if war breaks out in the Georgian separatist provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, a foreign ministry official said on Friday.
“If a military conflict develops, then we will have to react, including with military means,” foreign ministry official Valery Kenyaikin told journalists. “We are ready to defend our citizens.”
Most people in Abkhazia and South Ossetia have Russian passports. Georgia accuses Russia of trying to annex the territory by supporting rebel forces there and encouraging residents to take up Russian citizenship.
Tensions between Russia and Georgia have escalated sharply over the two provinces, which lie on Georgia’s side of the border with Russia in the Caucasus mountains.
Russian President Vladimir Putin last week ordered closer ties with both provinces, prompting international condemnation and outrage in Tbilisi.
Russia has “crossed the line” and committed “a dangerous and provocative act” which could “destabilize the whole region,” Georgian Deputy Prime Minister Georgy Baramidze said on Friday in Paris.
Germany, the US, France and Britain this week called on Russia to go back on Putin’s order for closer ties with the regions.
Finland, which holds the rotating chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, has sent an envoy to Georgia in a bid to resolve the crisis.
Another flare-up occurred last Sunday when a Georgian unmanned spy plane was shot down. Georgia blames Russia, which says that Abkhaz rebels were responsible.
Georgia’s pro-Western government is pushing hard to join NATO, but the unresolved conflicts in the two northern provinces are part of the reason that the Western alliance this month decided to delay putting the ex-Soviet republic on the path to membership.
Georgia says Russia is artificially stirring up the conflicts to weaken its independence, but Moscow accuses the Georgians of being the aggressive side.
Kenyaikin said Georgia was boosting its troop presence close to the separatist provinces.
“The Georgian side is expanding its military presence. Material is being delivered practically every day, partly from Turkey,” Kenyaikin said.
He said the Georgians had deployed troops “capable of taking military action.”
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