Georgia on Tuesday denounced the Russian “aggressor” and advocated “the end of the occupation” of two Georgian regions, for the 15th anniversary of the war with Russia. “We knew for a long time that Russia was an aggressor, we know that and the whole world knows that,” Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibachvili told reporters. On the night of August 7 to 8, 2008, the Russian army intervened in Georgia to come to the aid of the small region of South Ossetia, a pro-Russian separatist territory against which Tbilisi had launched a military operation.
The former president of Russia defends his action
Within five days, forces from Moscow had routed the Georgian army and threatened to take the capital. A peace agreement eventually led to the withdrawal of Russian troops, but Moscow recognized the independence of South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, and has maintained a strong military presence there ever since. “Our main challenge is to put an end to this occupation,” said Irakli Garibachvili on Tuesday, while insisting on a “peaceful” settlement of the problem.
For his part, Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, who was Russia’s leader in 2008, defended Moscow’s decision to intervene to “protect the people of Ossetia from the enemy”. South and Abkhazia. “Our armed forces swiftly and severely punished the arrogant nationalists in five days,” he wrote on Telegram on Tuesday. He also criticized the West for supporting Mikheil Saakashvili, Georgia’s president at the time, drawing parallels between the blitzkrieg with Georgia and the Russian military operation in Ukraine.
“Ukrainians stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia”
“As in August 2008, our enemies will be crushed and Russia will obtain peace on its own terms,” assured Dmitry Medvedev. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed for his part Monday evening kyiv’s solidarity with Georgia in the face of the Russian “aggressor”.
“Ukrainians stand in solidarity with the people of Georgia and I thank all Georgian citizens who stand up for freedom with us,” he said in his daily address to the nation.