Expert: Russia uses Georgia war narrative to retain influence over occupied regions


Author
Front News Georgia
Russia continues to push the narrative that Georgia started the 2008 war in order to keep the issue of Tskhinvali and Abkhazia as bargaining chips, Giorgi Tavdgiridze, military expert and founder of the social movement, Phari, said.
According to him, Moscow may ultimately fail to retain any foothold in the South Caucasus.
"Russia could not have imagined such geopolitical tectonic shifts in the Caucasus. It is effectively losing not only the South Caucasus, but if it is expelled from there, all signs indicate it will not be able to keep anything in the region. It will even face problems in the North Caucasus," Tavdgiridze stated.
He added that Russia is determined to maintain control over Tskhinvali and Abkhazia, which he described as "unsinkable aircraft carriers" whose military infrastructure enables Moscow to preserve influence in the region.
On the Armenia-Azerbaijan agreement, Tavdgiridze said the Zangezur corridor is inconceivable without Georgia. "The battle for a strong economic belt against Russia and China also concerns Georgia, because without Georgia, it all loses meaning," he noted.
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Giorgi Tavdgiridze