Russia’s Wars against Its Neighbors Won’t End Unless Russia Collapses or is Transformed, Vasadze Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, May 14 – Moscow’s wars against Ukraine, Georgia and other former Soviet republics won’t end until Russia itself collapses or is transformed beyond recognition, Gela Vasadze says. Anything short of that will represent only a breathing space or armistice that won’t last for long.

            If Putin is compelled to accept defeat in Ukraine, that could trigger a change in the Russian Federation, the Georgian political analyst says; but if he isn’t ousted and his regime replace or if he can present what he may have gained as a victory, he will renew his attacks as soon as he can.

            Indeed, Vasadze says, Putin’s timetable for his own vision is remarkably short. He hopes to declare the restoration of the USSR by December of this year, the centenary of the formation of the USSR in December 1922 (nv.ua/world/geopolitics/putin-hotel-vozrodit-sssr-do-dekabrya-intervyu-s-gela-vasadze-video-novosti-ukrainy-50241853.html).

            That reality has split the Georgian population from the Georgian government. Eighty percent of the former believe Ukraine’s war is their war and even more support Ukraine’s resistance to Russian aggression, but the latter while it supports Ukraine does not want to do anything like sanctions that might cause Russia to attack Georgia.