Comments on: Europeans throw Russia an olive branch http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/01/europeans-throw-russia-an-olive-branch/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:48:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Ben Aveling http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/01/europeans-throw-russia-an-olive-branch/#comment-39561 Ben Aveling Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:52:20 +0000 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/10/01/europeans-throw-russia-an-olive-branch/#comment-39561 If only the West had responded to Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence rumblings by calling for referendums on independence. They might even have voted no, given the option. More likely they would have formed independent countries, and it would have put pressure on Russia to do likewise for North Ossetia. But no, Georgia had to be supported and the high moral ground abandoned. End result, an extra dose of humiliation for Georgia and the West, Abkhazian and South Ossetia separated anyway, and as Russian satellites, rather than the independent countries they might have been. If only the West had responded to Abkhazian and South Ossetian independence rumblings by calling for referendums on independence. They might even have voted no, given the option. More likely they would have formed independent countries, and it would have put pressure on Russia to do likewise for North Ossetia.

But no, Georgia had to be supported and the high moral ground abandoned. End result, an extra dose of humiliation for Georgia and the West, Abkhazian and South Ossetia separated anyway, and as Russian satellites, rather than the independent countries they might have been.

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