BILISI, Georgia (AP) — The United States and Georgia are moving to expand their defense relations in the face of growing aggression by neighboring Russia.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says Russia President Vladimir Putin’s (POO’-tihn) move to annex the Crimea region of Ukraine has further isolated Moscow.
Georgia’s Defense Minister Irakli Alasania (ir-AHK’-lee al-uh-SAHN’-ee-ah) says it’s been painful for his country — which also fought and lost an invasion by Russia in 2008 — to see the world unable to check Russian aggression. About 20 percent of Georgia — largely the separatist regions of Abkhazia (ab-KAH’-zhee-uh) and South Ossetia (oh-SET’-yuh) — is still occupied by Russia.
Ukraine and Russia signed a cease-fire two days ago, but there’ve been explosions near the airport in Donetsk (dah-NETSK’), raising concerns that the agreement may collapse.
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From the BBC (2009): "
Georgia started unjustified war"
The head of the E.U. investigation into the war (the official investigative body of the war), Heidi Tagliavini, stated this clearly in October 2009:
Additionally, the official report by the Council of the E.U. states:
Read the official E.U. report and you’ll see that what you’ve been told about the Georgia - Russia war is yet another lie by the corrupt media no different than Iraqi WMD or Iranian nuclear weapons program.
I ask Democrats to please stop repeating this falsehood which is being used to push for yet another war (and more military spending) that the world absolutely does not need and cannot afford.