I refer to Joseph Cachia’s article “Poor Georgia” (TMIS, 24 August). After reading the article, one could not but agree that the introductory quotation from Walter Lippman was aptly chosen. It felt like if we were being transported back to the old Cold War days of the 1960s and 1970s when US bashing was the favourite pastime of the pro-Soviet lobby. While the article contains the usual dose of anti-Americanism typical of that era, it deals with the reasons why we have arrived at this state-of-affairs in the Caucasus in a rather superficial manner.

Indeed, the US and the so-called “West” have committed several mistakes over the last two decades in their relations with Russia suggesting a lack of understanding of the Russian character. Their attitude could have served them well had the Yeltsin era perpetuated itself. When Vladimir Putin and his Nationalist Party took over power, I was warned by a friend of mine, a connoisseur of Russia, that the resurgence of Russia as a world power was on the way.

For a start, Europe has made itself become partially reliant on Russian oil and gas, which could be cut off at any time as the Ukraine clearly demonstrated some time ago. The US’ attitude in world affairs since the fall of the Soviet Empire has left the Russians with a sense of humiliation, real or imagined. The US and the West’s treatment of Serbia, Russia’s traditional ally in the Balkans, and the nothing less than hypocritical installation and recognition of the Republic of Kosovo must have been difficult for Russian pride to digest. Finally, the rise in American influence in the former Soviet Republic has been handled badly by the Bush administration. Just as an example, the person chosen by Mr Bush to visit the region only a few days ago was that master of diplomacy and tact, Dick Cheney!

It seems to me that the Bush administration must have been, to say the least, well informed beforehand of the actions of Georgia in South Ossetia which led to the massive Russian retaliation. Did President Saakashvili think the US and Nato would back him during this confrontation with Russia, and if so to what extent? Did the Bush administration assess correctly how Russia would respond to Georgia’s provocation? If not, then it must bear considerable blame for this mess.

There are other worrying features to this crisis. Seventy years ago the Sudetenland was ceded to Nazi Germany. Like Germany in the 1930s, today’s Russia is a post-imperial State run by an authoritarian administration. The collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991 left the Russians humiliated; the economic collapse and the political turmoil that followed demoralized the population further and were blamed on democracy.

As a consequence of all this, power has now fallen on an authoritarian, Nationalistic regime promising greatness and glory together with economic recovery (helped by soaring oil revenues; it would be interesting to know what role Moscow played in the rise of the price of oil during the last 12 months and what its intentions were).

Recent events in the Caucasus could well herald other similar crises in the former Soviet Republic. For, like in any post imperial scenario, there are significant Russian minorities in these republics – Moldova, Azerbaijan, Ukraine and even Estonia to mention but a few. Will Russia use these minorities in its desire to expand thus creating further instability?

It is clear that a durable and reasonable solution must be reached. While the US and the West must show the Russians that they will not stand any further nonsense, taking more than symbolic measures, they must not engage in permanent confrontation. The real enemies of the US and the West are not in Russia but in sinister regimes elsewhere. Similarly, Russia should recognise that for all its wealth, it still needs to cooperate with the US and the West in its bid to become a modern developed State. It should also realise that its enemies are actually the same as those of the US.

A durable partnership between the US and the West on one side and the Russian Federation based on mutual respect and understanding must be established to avoid confrontation in the future.

Ernest Ellul

FGURA