According to the Russian “Comersant” paper, Russia thinks it’s possible to start military operations in Georgia. However, President of Georgia Mikhal Sahakashvili has told Western presses that the Russian authorities have become the victim of their own propaganda while commenting on the arrest of Russian soldiers in Georgia. Dozens of people were arrested on September 27 in Georgia for being accused of spying. Four of the arrested were Russian spies, due to which the Russian-Georgian tension has risen during the past week.
Russia has called its ambassador in Georgia back, has prohibited Georgian citizens to enter Russia and has started deporting its citizens from Georgia. The Russian constant member of the UN Security Council had also asked the council to hold an out-of-turn session and pressure Georgia to stop the operations, “which may endanger the security of the region”. The UN Security Council postponed the session, while the U.S. and Great Britain went against the resolution of Russia, which wasn’t passed.
Sahakashvili denied the rumors that other countries joined in the arrest of the Russian soldiers, in particular the U.S. The Georgian president also said that he doesn’t think that Russia is “that stupid” to start military operations with Georgia. Sahakashvili isn’t afraid of having Russia stop economic cooperation. He mentioned the fact that Russia had already set a ban on Georgian wine. He also said that Georgia is already accustomed to such things and can fight against them. A couple of days ago, during a meeting with Russian National Security Council constant members in Novo-Ogaryovoy, Russian president Vladimir Putin described the recent acts of the Georgian authorities as “state terrorism by taking hostage”. According to Putin, although Russia is fulfilling the requirements stated in the dual contract regarding the dislocation of armed forces based in Georgia, Georgians have caught and sent Russian soldiers to jail. Putin considered that “a sign of the inheritance of politics led by Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria.” “It’s clear that they are trying to hit Russia where it hurts the most. Everyone should know that,” said Putin and added: “In general, the people doing this assume that the anti-Russian foreign politics corresponds to the interests of the Georgian people. I don’t think that that is the case.” According to the Russian president, there are probably some powers that are professionals in creating chaotic situations, supposing that that will help distract people’s attention from old issues. “That may be effective in a short-term period. But it’s clear that it won’t help solve the problems that have existed for a while now,” said V. Putin. According to “Novost”, the Russian Defense Minister has warned to continue dislocate Russian military bases from the Georgian territory regardless of the situation at hand. However, it has been known that the pro-Russian authorities of Abkhazia have declared that they are ending negotiations with Georgia until the Georgian soldiers are not removed from the higher section of the Kodori damn. The Abkhazian president’s press secretary has said that the negotiations between Abkhazia and Georgia may begin only after Georgia goes back to fulfilling the requirements of the contract signed on May 14, 1994 and fulfills the requirements set long before that too. It is worth mentioning that this was what Russia’s resolution was about, which was presented and didn’t pass.
Later, the Ministry of Transportation of Russia declared that Russia is ending aviation, automobile, navigation, public transportation and mailing services with Georgia. After this, the Georgian side announced that it’s ready to hand the four Russian spies over to the OSCE. The current president of the OSCE and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium Carl de Gucht has already paid a visit to Georgia and it was expected to turn the Russian spies to the OSCE representatives. Let’s recall that last week, Georgian authorities declared that the activities of the arrested were systemized by Yerevan by spy of the Chief Prosecutor’s office Anatoli Sinitsin. Some presses spread information saying that Georgia has demanded that Armenia hand over six Russian soldiers to Georgia, of which three Armenian citizens are suspected of being spies. During a conversation, deputy press speaker for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vladimir Karapetyan denied these rumors. Armenia, according to Foreign Minister of Armenia Vartan Oskanyan, is worried over the tense relations between Russia and Georgia and is following up on the events.