Six Western nations marked the 15th anniversary of Russia’s takeover of 20% of Georgia’s territory by demanding on Thursday that Moscow return the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions.
A joint statement by the six members of the U.N. Security Council — the United States, United Kingdom, France, Albania, Japan and Malta — said Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008 “marked a more aggressive trend” in its policy toward its neighbors, something being witnessed today in Ukraine.
The statement, following closed council consultations on Georgia, said the six countries “are resolute” in reaffirming the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity “within its internationally recognized borders.”
In August 2008, Russia fought a brief war with Georgia, which had made a botched attempt to regain control over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Moscow then recognized the independence of South Ossetia and another breakaway Georgian province, Abkhazia, and set up military bases there.
The statement, read by Albanian Ambassador Ferit Hoxha outside the Security Council surrounded by diplomats from the five other countries, condemned Russia’s “brutal invasion” and continued occupation of South Ossetia and Abkhazia and its “steps toward annexation of these Georgian regions.”
The Western nations also reiterated their condemnation of Moscow for “continuous provocations which go in parallel with the Russian Federation’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression against Ukraine.”
They pointed to Russia’s continued military drills in Georgia’s territory, sea and airspace as well as its erection of barbed wire fences and other barriers, its unlawful detentions and abductions of local people, discrimination against ethnic Georgians, and deliberate damage to Georgian cultural heritage.
The six countries said the Russia-Georgia conflict should be resolved peacefully based on international law, including the U.N. Charter, which requires every country's territorial integrity be recognized, “also noting the context of Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine.”
Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, called the Western statement “hypocrisy” in a tweet, saying Georgia lost territory because of a “reckless gamble.”
Russia resumed direct flights with Georgia in May, and Polyansky said Moscow’s ties with the country “are gradually improving, enabling tourist and economic exchanges.”
“But the Russophobic West is not happy and trying to drive the wedge between us at any price,” he said. “This statement is a clear illustration of this.”
Polyansky called the situation “especially sickening and hypocritical” knowing that Ukraine turned “anti-Russia” in 2014, when Moscow annexed Crimea. He said Ukraine “is being sacrificed right now by the U.S. and its allies for Western geopolitical interests in a futile NATO proxy war against Russia until the last Ukrainian.”
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33 Comments
JJE
These are the same Usual Suspects who took Kosovo away from Serbia down the barrel of a gun.
Double standards!
TaiwanIsNotChina
So that is like 1 region compared to like 6 for Russia in addition to all of its WW2 thefts? And Russia shamelessly annexes as well without even keeping up a pretense.
OssanAmerica
Russia is dedicated to stealing other nation's territories. Not a good member of the international community.
Peter14
Really? Which one of them incorporated Kosovo into their territory?
I await your answer.
kintsugi
Three of those countries, Albania, Japan, and Malta, were not involved with Kosovo so are not the "usual suspects".
JJE
Even more mendaciously, these six countries include collaborator Albania and the other principal offenders (US, UK, France) that shamelessly bombed and invaded Serbia to break that little country apart.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
JJE
Albania was centrally involved. It along with the US/UK etc armed the KLA separatists and used Albanian territory to conduct their little-green-men mission.
kintsugi
The Kosovo War was started by Serbia. The immediate cause of the conflict in Kosovo was Slobodan Milosevic and his oppression of the ethnic Albanians there for the preceding decade.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Kosovo-conflict
kintsugi
But the article is about Georgia and the land stolen by Russia.
Fighto!
Land stealing, rogue nation - fascist Russia.
The modern day equivalent to expansionist Nazi Germany.
Good on those democratic nations demanding the return of Georgian land.
kintsugi
JJE
and back to the topic, Georgia.
JJE
The South Ossetia and Abkhazia conflicts were started by Georgia. The immediate cause of the conflict in those places was Zviad Gamsakhurdia and the oppression of the ethnic Abkhazians and South Ossetians there for the preceding decade.
kintsugi
JJE being a Russian you seek to justify the actions of your country.
Peter14
Glaring differences.
Kosovo did not initiate a war to leave Serbia, it did so in a peaceful way until Serbs cracked down on Kosovo Albanians with war, necessitating Europe to stop a genocide using force.
Russian troops moved into South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions (invaded Georgia) encouraging those regions to declare themselves independent, as they did in Ukraine territories in 2014 and 2022.
NATO moved to protect the vulnerable who were being slaughtered after Serbia started killing.
Russia initiated unrest and invaded areas it now claims are Russian.
JJE
It's important to understand the actual history there, in particular the Georgian Civil War 91-93 that featured many breakaway regions.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgian_Civil_War
kintsugi
Russia also occupied the Japanese Isles and did not sign a peace treaty. Russia is a thief of other countries' lands even though it is the largest country in the world.
konjo4u
A boondoggle assignment for Russian military personnel who would prefer not to be in Ukraine.
Larr Flint
I think Japan should demand Sahalin back from Russia. I think citizens that currently live there would prefer to join Japan instead of living in Putin regime.
Sanjinosebleed
If the US leaves Syria and Iraq, Russia will leave Georgia….yeh never gonna happen…
Eastmann
mistake.
it was Sakartvelo who have attacked these provinces.these two provinces fought to Sakartvelo in previous conflicts and there were stationed russian blue helmets to guarantee that conflicts will not start again.
stop openly lying here.if any doubts ask people of Cchinvali and abt grad rocket attacks from Sakartvelo during Beijing olympics opneing ceremony.
Mark
Not while Putin is in office, I would wait till the next leader takes office.
Mark
Russia, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, China, and the U.S. have all stolen land from the indigenous people and some continue to so, so what is new here???
englisc aspyrgend
If Georgia didn’t have a lickspittle russian toady in power the Georgians could easily kick the remnants of the russian occupation force out (most of it was sent and destroyed in Ukraine).
JJE
Can't anyone see it?
The irony of this UN pronouncement by this cabal is that it does not include the actual country involved - Georgia.
The truth is the civil war in the early 90s and the disastrous consequences has plagued the country since then. And they don't want to go down the Kyiv path because they have already tried that one. Fortunately they are trying to unscramble the egg with positive action in what is still a fragmented society (even among the non-separatists). They deserve the chance to mend their society and hopefully peace and prosperity, not NATO hand-me-downs to become a pawn on a chessboard. Economic relations have greatly improved with neighboring countries, even their own breakaway ones.
The architect of the 2008 war, Mikheil Saakashvili, is in jail. He moved to Ukraine and Peroshenko appointed him governor of Odessa Oblast - where he got to work oppressing ethnic Ukrainian-Russians. His fell out with the Kyiv government in 2017 but was rehabilitated in 2019 by the current guy. His return to Georgia in an attempt to gain power saw him arrested and jailed, because he believed his own propaganda that he had popular support when in fact he is despised.
Antiquesaving
Now how is that for an ironic situation.
And Albanian complaining.
How about complaining about ethnic Albanians taking Kosovo from Serbia with NATO help!
Jtsnose
A better title would be, "U. N. Security Council demands . . . ."
Pacificpilot
The security council Is an impotent and Dysfunctional organization. Members of the United Nations should reform that body and expel Russia and China unless they give up illegally acquired territories such as Georgia, The Crimea, Tibet and the northern territories of Japan
Legrande
Ok then US restore Hawaii to the Hawaiian people, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and get out of Iraq, etc.
EFD
Just think how irked the Russian fan-bois are going to be the Day that Georgia starts taking about joining NATO?
cuddly
Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008
Almost forgot about this other land grab during the Obama-Biden years.
Antiquesaving
It is interesting, ethnic Russians don't feel safe and demand independence, the west response is no, but Albanians (that were originally refugees from the Ottoman Empire) demand part of Serbia, no problem!
Seems only with what the EU and USA like are separations Ok.
I mean Catalina didn't do so well,
I mean it is a bit ironic Georgia was spared the suffering of the Soviet 1930s Ukraine goes on and on about it, but the reason Georgia was spared is because the 2 biggest maniac running things Stalin and Beria where not Russia but Georgian and specifically protected Georgia.
But again western news makes the "Russians" bad everyone else good.
EFD
Russia’s invasion of Georgia in 2008
Obama took office on January 21, 2009.
This was W’s cluster duck.
Did you fail to read the article or are you as inept at reading comprehension as you seem to be at linear time?
Kuku
At the time of today's missile strike, a strong earthquake was recorded in Ukraine.
According to Ukrainian channels, the epicenter of the earthquake was in the area of the railway tunnel in Transcarpathia.
This tunnel is used to deliver NATO weapons to Ukraine.
Its length is about 2 km, it is laid through rocks and is well protected.
There is reason to believe that "Kinzhal" was hitting the tunnel.
The message has not been confirmed yet. But if it is confirmed...For a year and a half, the Russians did not touch this tunnel, which carried deadly weapons to Ukraine. Well, if the kinzhal didn't finish today, then it will finish tomorrow.