Russia ups the ante

From PRI's The World 26 August, 2008 06:20:00

Download audio (mp3)

Font size:

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (Image: Russiablog.org)

Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, recognizes the Georgian regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Until three weeks ago, the international community paid little attention to the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. Then Georgia's President, Mikhail Saakashvili tried to reassert control over South Ossetia by sending in the military. Russia intervened and crushed the Georgian army.

Today, Moscow upped the ante.

Russia's president, Dmitry Medvedev, today recognized the breakaway Georgian South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states. The move heightens tensions between Russia and the West.

Earlier, President Medvedev told the BBC that Russia had been obliged to act because of Georgia's "genocide" of separatists.

President George W. Bush warned his Russian counterpart, that his "irresponsible decision" was exacerbating tensions in the region. Georgia said Russia was seeking to "change Europe's borders by force".

But what President Bush considers irresponsible, Russia's Charge D'Affaires Aleksander Darchiyev, considers inevitable.

"The World" anchor Lisa Mullins speaks with Aleksander Darchiyev at Russia's embassy in Washington, to find out more about Russia's intentions.

More about the situation in Georgia from "The World."

PRI's "The World" is a one-hour, weekday radio news magazine offering a mix of news, features, interviews, and music from around the globe. "The World" is a co-production of the BBC World Service, PRI and WGBH Boston.

More "The World."

Comments (1 posted):

Orion Stallard Pron: "O'Ryan" on 26 August, 2008 10:27:37

I'm suprised that there been little attention given to the fact that we are in a change of wartime administration and that picking a fight with Russia right now is just plain Dumb. We've already shown our hand (military might and management) with Iraq and Afganistan and taunting every bully on the block seems to me to overreach our capacity to back up the tough talk. Not to mention how badly this will likely play out for the next president-espically if it's Barak Obama.

Also, I've listened to NPR and other news and am not entirely clear why South Ossetia and Abkhazia becoming independant is so negative. So what if the UN has a defined border of Georgia. If a group of people wish to become independant any where in the world (i.e. the US 233 years ago) why should we interfere and try to stop them? Would Russia get involved if Puerto Rico wanted to admonish it's US Territory status? Better yet, what if part of Cuba or Venezuela wanted to declare independance and have democratic elections. Wold we whip out the UN border definitions then? Sincerely confused.