[Argos]

Mostly agreed, but there are a few things I see a bit different.

Originally Posted by simon

The other European countries in the USSR didn't have many natural resources. They remained headed in a very frightening direction. In Georgia and Ukraine there were popular revolutions inspired by the idea of getting off that track and onto the track the central Europeans had followed. But Putin's Russia doesn't want more countries to go down the Western route.

I think Georgia is a special case. In Soviet times very different nationalities were joint to the Grusinian SSR against the will of most of the northern and western 'Grusinian' people. When Georgia became independent, those ethnical groups IMMEDIATELY wanted to split off, namely Adjaria, Abchasia and South Ossetia, which always wanted a reunion with northern Ossets. Tbilisi reacted with all their brutality to this efforts until the Russian minorities in those regions called for the Red Army, who since then 'protected' them, certainly not out of humanity, but because they wanted to avoid the conflict spread to the northern (Russian) Caucasus. This protection was negotiated internationally, so no use to blame Russia for this.

Georgia got more and more important for the USA and EU, because of the oil-pipeline projects from the Caspic to the Black Sea, but the conflicts could not be solved. Russia stopped the support for Adjaria, their most distant trouble spot, to give Georgia the chance to show, that they are able to solve the ethnic problems peacefully and in consent with the population. They failed. So Russia is no more willing to cooperate with Georgia. The conflict between Russia and Georgia escalated. My view to this: The USA and EU were far too long only economically interested in Georgia, not politically. Their efforts now, to join Georgia to NATO and EU, is just another affront to Russia, solving the ethnic problem in 'ingesting' Georgia into their realm.

Originally Posted by simon

This new cold war is different from the old one. Russia's big new weapon isn't its armed forces, it's gas. Turning off the gas has already been used against Georgia and Ukraine to force them to pay Western rates as they were no longer Russian allies. Most countries formerly in the Soviet bloc are completely dependent on Russian gas and as North Sea gas runs out western European countries are beginning to rely on it too.The spectre stalking Europe right now is fear that Russia will turn off the gas supply to exert political control. It's already done it to Georgia and Ukraine. Who's next?

Well, this should be seen in a different way, too. The World Trade Union has moaned since years, that Russia gives it's 'satellites' oil and gas for a fraction (about 10 %) of the world market price and requested that Russia should increase the prices in several steps, which has been promised by Russia. They just began with those countries, who were not especially 'cooperative' with Russia. theft and then closing off the pipelines were the logical consequences. I wouldn't blame Russia for this. Every country who has the power to do so, makes strategical politics with it's ressources. The USA began a war, justified with lies, for this.