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Wednesday, 20 August 2008 |
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MEDIA VOICES: 'Success' hangs in balance |
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Daily Herald
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From the Washington Post, Tuesday, Aug. 19:
333Russian President Dmitry Medvedev must understand that his international reputation is not enhanced by the enormous gap between his statements and reality. The offsetting benefits that he, or Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, perceives must be large. It may be that by asserting squatters' rights in Georgia, Russia hopes to enhance its negotiating position that Georgia's territorial integrity should no longer be respected. It may hope that by wrecking Georgia's economy, it can spark an uprising against Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, the elected leader whom Mr. Putin despises. Russia may just want to drive home the lesson to small neighboring states that they should follow Russia's lead, or else.
In the long run, this will not help Russia's standing anywhere. A telling sign came with the release of a prominent political opponent from prison by Belarus' dictator; if even he is looking to open a channel to the West, Russia's neighbors are indeed nervous. The West -- the International Monetary Fund, the United States, the European Union -- must help Georgia's economy withstand the pressure, and it must make clear, including at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers Tuesday, that there can be no business as usual with Russia while this military campaign goes on. "This withdrawal has to be carried out without delay," Mr. Sarkozy wrote in The Post Monday. "For me, this point is not negotiable." Russia seems set on putting Mr. Sarkozy's determination to the test.
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