Tariel Sikharulidze: The might is right is Russias political credo

International Community has witnessed Russia's uncovered aggression towards its neighboring country Georgia. Russia, under cover of peace enforcement operations, has lead military attacks against Georgia by bombing country's military facilities as well as cities, port of Poti, Critical Infrastructures as pipelines, destroying buildings, housings and causing casualties among military and civilian population. They have even dropped their bombs on the medical service cars transporting people.

Russia has overtly aggressed a young western values based democracy striving towards reunification of its territorial integrity, which is its right deriving form charter of United Nations and international law. This uncovered aggression is a violation of international law, of principle of non-intervention in internal affairs, of principal of territorial integrity as well as widely accepted principles of international order and justice. Russia by attacking civilian objects by using disproportional force against Georgian military and civilian population has even violated the law of war and acceptable principle of conduct of war. But as we have seen Russia's policy makers and political Elite in power does not really care about that. They once again have demonstrated that this is a country led by the "Great-Power Nationalists" issued from Lubianka and military block, who deplore the death of the Soviet Union and whish the restoration of Russian Empire by all means, and even a bloody way is good for their dream to come true. For the people in power in Russia the principles of modern democratic world and its values are not acceptable at all. They can not deal with their neighboring countries on the bases of equality among sovereign nations. The only policy they can accept and lead is a use of brutal force in violation of universally accepted principles governing international relations among nations and states.  We have witnessed it during their dealing with Chechnya, with Nord-Ost case, with other issues political issues or issues related to western companies working and doing business in Russia. In two words the might is right is today's Russia's political credo.

Russia is willing to maintain its presence in the Caucasus. They have declared this region being their natural sphere of influence, and as we have seen they are ready to apply any kind of pressure, even a brutal military intervention to conduct their Caucasian policy and especially Georgia. Why? Because it feels the need to control its southern seaports and energy flows, so it is seeking always to undermine energy projects and pipelines crossing Azerbaijan and Georgia, vital for western energy security corridor. Moreover, it is determined to control the central Asian energy resources; and in keeping the conflicts in the Caucasus unresolved to better rule over the region. We can state that Georgia stands today in the frontline of Europe's energy security. Furthermore if Russia's actions would go unabated, you will see it elsewhere in the post-soviet space and may be even in Europe, where Russia already controls the majority of energy supplies. At the same time we do not have to forget the logic of cold-war in decision in Russia's decision making. They are hardly digesting the loss of influence in Baltic states and the ex-Warsaw pact countries. They are obliged to deal with the fact that nowadays Russia and NATO or even EU have the same borders. For them the loss of influence and domination in Georgia and Caucasus is simply not acceptable. They deplore Soviet Union and are dreaming to resurrect the Russian empire, would it be a Liberal Empire or any kind of Empire any mean.