‘A Way Out of the Georgia Crisis for Russia and the West’: Le Figaro

As we Americans obsess about the presidential campaign, the Georgia crisis goes on -and is getting worse ‘hour by hour,’ according to French historian Alexandre Adler, aka/France’s foremost neo-con and fan of President George W. Bush.

But according to Adler there is a way out. He writes in part:

“The general state of relations between Russia and the West is deteriorating by the hour. While, contrary to the agreement signed by Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitri Medvedev, Russian troops continue to occupy portions of Georgian territory – outside of Abkhazia and Ossetia, rumors of a possible confrontation between Russia and Ukraine are gathering apace. … Yet it’s in the nature of extreme situations to produce effects that are excessively negative or excessively positive, according to the artfulness and ability that politicians bring to them.

“Here begins the careful surgery: the French and the other Europeans in their train must indicate clearly to the Russians that they will not alter their opposition on the presence of Ukraine and Georgia in NATO … at least in its current state. They must also make it known to Moscow that they will not pass a sanctions regime except as a last resort. But at the same time they must make clear to the Kremlin that the E.U. could quickly accept the candidacy of Ukraine or Georgia to the European Union. For reasons that are principled and not tactical, the enlargement of Europe can be carried out only with the consent of Russia; and only if Russia advances along a path as a partner with special status within the European Union, which would be at least on par with that of Ukraine. If Russia agrees to enter into such a mechanism of negotiations, Russians and Western Europeans could then build a continent-wide dialogue that would change the face of the world.”

By Alexandre Adler

Translated By Kate Davis

August 30, 2008

France – Le Figaro – Original Article (French)

The general state of relations between Russia and the West is deteriorating by the hour. While, contrary to the agreement signed by Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitri Medvedev, Russian troops continue to occupy portions of Georgian territory – outside of Abkhazia and Ossetia, rumors of a possible confrontation between Russia and Ukraine are gathering apace.

Everyone is talking about “Cold War,” but rather, it brings to mind a sort of war of secession that will end up being played out nearly 20 years after the implosion of the Soviet Empire. When the presidents of three Baltic States (Poland, Ukraine and Georgia) express their solidarity in confronting Moscow, the fear arises of triggering a fatal conflict between two relatively equal parts of the former Soviet Empire, rather than a deliberate attempt to cause harm on either side.

Yet it’s in the nature of extreme situations to produce effects that are excessively negative or excessively positive, according to the artfulness and ability that politicians bring to them. In 1914, but in reality as early as 1912, the explosion of the Balkans and the Ottoman Empire led to global war [WWI], but 36 years earlier, the crisis of 1878 between Russia and Turkey which was no less serious, led to the Congress of Berlin and the triumph of the moderate ideas of Bismarck , the assurance of a continental peace that extended over several decades, the “Beautiful Era [Belle Epoque ].

READ ON AT WORLDMEETS.US, along with continuing translated and English-language foreign press coverage of the unfolding crisis between Russian and the West.