Georgia used US and Ukrainian mercenaries in its aggression against South Ossetia

Russia has won the war in Georgia. US-based scientist of politics at Nixon Center, Dmitri Simes, told ITAR-TASS that Russia would now need to win the world in cooperation with the USA. The expert means that Russia currently needs to try to turn the past events in South Ossetia to advantage of US-Russian relations.

Photo: Georgia used US and Ukrainian mercenaries in its aggression against South Ossetia

Simes believes that it is a possible, albeit a hard goal to achieve. Simes is certain that no one in the US political establishment incited the Georgian president to invade South Ossetia. Saakashvili simply overestimated his own significance in Washington’s eyes and misinterpreted messages, which the US administration was sending him, the expert believes.

In its turn, America decided not to fall into Russia’s confidence, especially when Georgian troops retreated beyond South Ossetian borders. In addition, Washington wanted not to keep its front going after the debacle it suffered in foreign politics.

In the meantime, the presidents of the unrecognized republics of North and South Ossetia, Sergei Bagapsh and Eduard Kokoity, intend to strive for the international recognition of their small nations. In addition, they do not exclude that the two republics may become one some day in the future.

Bagapsh believes that they have excellent chances at this point, having referred to the recognition of Kosovo’s independence. However, the president reminded that neither North nor South Ossetia insisted on the international recognition of their independence after events in Kosovo.

S. Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity stated that Georgia used mercenaries from several countries during its aggression against his nation.

“There were many mercenaries from Ukraine and the Baltic states. We have found dead bodies of African Americans too,” Interfax quoted Kokoity as saying.

The official supposed that it was exactly the reason why the Georgian side had not provided any reports about the losses, which it was suffering during the military operation.

Presidents Bagapsh and Kokoity also accused Western media outlets of the schemed informational war against South Ossetia. They believe that the vast majority of Western news agencies provided the biased coverage of events.

“It was a well-prepared and thought-out action, when there was only one opinion provided – the opinion of the USA, Great Britain and several other countries. Everyone started to support this opinion,” Sergei Bagapsh said.

The president said that there were just a few countries which did not follow the fraudulent trend – Spain, France and Germany.

“The whole of Georgia talks about Russia’s bombing of Tskhinvali and South Ossetia. What are they talking about? One should not believe what the BBC or CNN said or what they will be saying,” he said.

“You may not be a professional, but a Western journalist must have at least an iota of honor and dignity. One should not lose their conscience and decency behind your profession, no matter whom you work for,” Bagapsh said.

S. Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity stated that journalists of Western news agencies were as much responsible for the conflict as those, who stormed Tskhinvali.

“It was the dual informational and armed aggression. Some were wielding guns, whereas others were armed with microphones and cameras,” Kokoity said.

The S. Ossetian president said that he was not going to allow Georgian peacemakers in the republic any longer.

“There will be only Russian peacemakers deployed in South Ossetia and Abkhazia,” he said.

The S. Ossetian president stated that that the Russian peacemakers did not open fire first.

“Believe me as an eyewitness. We were aware of all commands and we heard them all. I wonder what would happen to citizens of Israel, the USA or France, for example, if they found themselves in Ossetians’ shoes,” he said.

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former president of the USSR, said in an interview with CNN that Georgia’s President Saakashvili deserves to be deprived of the trust of his own nation, although it is a matter of the Georgians.

Gorbachev emphasized that Russia was acting accordingly responding to Georgia’s aggression.

Mikhail Gorbachev said that US officials should trust their Russian counterparts. It is absolutely obvious that the USA supports Georgia. However, Gorbachev is certain that Russia did not have the goal of overthrowing the Georgian president.

Analysts of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies calculated that one day in South Ossetia cost Russia 2.5 billion rubles, the supervisor of the center, Ruslan Pukhov said.

For Georgia, one day of war cost 4.8 billion rubles (about $200 million). However, Georgia’s defense economy is fully supported by the US budget. Georgia’s defense spending in 2007 made up 1 billion dollars. Georgia does not have this money per se.