Closely Watched Georgia
Closely Watched Georgia

Summary/Abstract: In the early 1990s the independent Georgia made a military attempt to regain control over two of its regions—Abkhazia and South Ossetia, both trying to secede from the Georgian state with the help of Russia, as the latter was coming to terms with the loss of its former empire, albeit with difficulty. President Vladimir Putin referred to the disintegration of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical disaster of the 20th century. The former USSR used to promote the defense of the interests of the so-called socialism (the Brezhnev doctrine), but in the 1990s the concept of the so-called near abroad appeared, referring to the zone of influence in the neighboring states, which were to respect Russia’s interests. The problem is, however, what these interests are and whether they justify the violation of international law.

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