11/08/2008 11:25:40 am
War in Europe. Those who thought that we would all discuss the Olympics by now turned out to be wrong. The war in Georgia is rightly on the top of the agenda at the moment.

Russia has provoked a conflict to to punish a neighbouring country for their will to pursue different policies. Apparently, the Russian government does not believe that their neigbours are sovereign countries.

Georgia uses the slogan "Europe started here" and they are very Western-oriented. They have launched far-reaching free-market reforms as well as reforms against corruption and for democracy. And they applied for Nato membership.

I was there during an intense week in March, and the success is evident. Growth rates at ten per cent a year have been showing. I met leading politicians and analysts. I am scheduled to go back in October.

Russia pays a loyal government in the breakaway province of South Ossetia. Their excuse for the current full-scale war was the defence of that province. Proposals of independence from the Georgian government were ignored.

Before the real war, Russia launched the cyber war. Many web sites in Georgia were suddenly inaccessible, including that of the Foreign Ministry. Instead, they had to set up a blog to communicate, see it here.

The Russian government claims they have to protect Russians in South Ossetia. One might wonder why, then, they attack targets all around Georgia. In any case, if that were the right of Russia they could invade any European country where there are Russians.

Quite possibly, Russia is trying to overthrow the Georgian government and replace it with their marionets. That would destroy - at least temporarily - what has been a great spirit of freedom and reform.

I hope this war unites the EU so that it may use its substantial powers. This is intolerable. Russia must leave Georgia.