International reaction to the Russo-Georgian War

Prime Minister Sergey Sidorsky said that his country had sent humanitarian aid and was ready to host several thousand children over the following two months.[7]

Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivaylo Kalfin stated, "Bulgaria supports a strong and active European position on the conflict in South Ossetia."[11]

On 10 August David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated, "I am very concerned about the expansion of hostilities well beyond the region of South Ossetia. Rather than acting as a neutral peacekeeper, Russia has escalated the hostilities through its attacks on Georgian towns and cities outside the conflict zone. Canada calls on Russia to respect Georgia’s borders and to desist from any further encroachment on Georgia’s territorial integrity."[13]

On 27 August, International Co-operation Minister Bev Oda announced an additional $2 million in humanitarian aid.[14]

China called for an "Olympic ceasefire", following the tradition of ceasing hostilities during the Ancient Olympic Games.[17]

Estonian President Ilves said that the Russian attack on Georgia should be considered a persuasive argument for the conferral of NATO membership to Georgia and Ukraine.[24]

"Don't ask us who's good and who's bad here," said the French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. "We shouldn't make any moral judgments on this war. Stopping the war, that's what we're interested in."[26]

German chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her concern about the humanitarian situation in Georgia and called for immediate ceasefire.[28]

Chancellor Angela Merkel said during her meeting with Medvedev, "to say that I found some of Russia's actions disproportionate and in particular think the presence of Russian troops in Georgia proper is not sensible. Russian troops should withdraw from central areas in Georgia." But according to her, some of the Russian actions were reasonable. "Both sides are probably to blame," she said.[29]

Deputy Foreign Minister Gernot Erler accused Georgia of violating international law by breaking a 1992 ceasefire agreement. He called it "a question of a violation of international law". Erler acknowledged provocation by South Ossetia's separatists, but said he understood Russia's reaction.[30]

Eckart von Klaeden, foreign policy spokesman for the Christian Democratic Union, said Russia was equally guilty for the escalation.[30]

Former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder acknowledged that the conflict was triggered by Georgia's invasion of South Ossetia. When asked if he thought American military advisers stationed in Tbilisi encouraged the attack he responded, "I wouldn't go that far. But everyone knows that these US military advisors in Georgia exist – a deployment that I've never considered particularly intelligent. And it would have been strange if these experts had not had any information. Either they were extremely unprofessional or they were truly fooled, which is hard to imagine." He went on to say that "there have indeed been serious mistakes made by the West in its policy toward Russia."[31] He described Saakashvili as a "gambler",[32][33] and claimed that Russia was not pursuing annexation.[32]

The German military attache in Moscow described the Russian military response in Georgia as "appropriate" in an internal document. "The extent of the use of military force by the Russian side appears – seen from here and despite reports to the contrary from Georgia and the picture conveyed by the media – not inappropriately high," Brigadier General Heinz G Wagner wrote on August 11.[34]

The Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) called for peace, the Communist Party of Greece blamed imperialism and the Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) said that those who pushed Georgians into the conflict should be ashamed.[37]

On 14 August the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that a Greek diaspora member, Ivan Mihailidis, was killed in the capital of South Ossetia, while his three family members remain in the town, and that in Vladikavkaz there were 25 refugees that were members of the Greek diaspora or their families; the Greek government provided financial aid to the Greek diaspora families.[38][39]

The Foreign Minister of Iran Manouchehr Mottaki said the crisis in South Ossetia could lead to the outbreak of a new cold war era between American and Russian coalitions. He warned that, "The extra-regional power [America] would suffer the same fate they have (in Afghanistan and Iraq) should it seek to destabilize the Caucasus."[43]

Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Franco Frattini said, "We cannot create an anti-Russia coalition in Europe, and on this point we are close to Putin's position." He stressed that Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was a close ally of Putin.[47] About an eventual deployment of Italian troops, he later commented, "If, after his meetings in Tbilisi and Moscow, Kouchner submits a proposal to the European Council of Foreign Ministers on Wednesday, and it’s approved, we’ll take it into consideration. There are a lot of ‘ifs’, and we’d need in any case to redistribute our forces, which are finite, by redeploying them from other international missions. Humanitarian aid for South Ossetia, on the other hand, is ready as of now."[48]

On 28 August, a meeting was held in Dushanbe between Nursultan Nazarbayev and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Nazarbayev said that Kazakhstan was sympathetic to Russian efforts to establish peace in South Ossetia and that Kazakhstan was providing humanitarian aid to South Ossetians. Medvedev thanked the Kazakh president for provision of humanitarian aid.[51]

The statement by the Polish president, Lech Kaczyński, said: "The president believes that any interference in internal matters of the republic of Georgia is unacceptable and that any such action, if it intensifies, could lead to tragic consequences."[60]

On 14 August 2008, Poland and the United States reached an agreement about establishing a battery of American missiles inside Poland.[61]

Foreign Ministry press spokesman Piotr Paszkowski said, "Poland is clearly in favor of respecting the territorial integrity of Georgia."[62]

The presidential administration announced that the Romanian authorities would be prepared to evacuate Romanian citizens from Georgia if the situation required so.[65]

"In Kosovo, so-called collective rights were put ahead of a country's integrity" said Basescu, continuing, "Now see what is happening in southern Caucasus." "The development is ... that territorial integrity is stepped over in the name of protecting minority rights," he said. "You cannot have that."[66][67]

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledged that Romanian-made infantry weapons and ammunition delivered to Georgia were in compliance with international law.[68]

Oliver Ivanović, Serbian State Secretary of the Ministry for Kosovo and Metohija, stated, "The question of Kosovo was didactic and inspirational for South Ossetia, so that they wanted to further strain the relations and define their position, which is understandable. Georgia has tried to solve the issue by using violence just as Serbia tried to do it in 1999." Countries that accept "the violation of the international law and disregard of the sovereignty of states, as it was done in the case of Kosovo, they can expect the possibility that such a recipe will be applied in all other situations".[72]

On 18 August, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt halted all exercises and military ties between Sweden and Russia, saying that "the Russian invasion of Georgia is unacceptable and a violation of international law. The Russian action has changed the image of Russia as an international player."[79][80]

Following the Russian recognition of South Ossetia, Bildt stated, "South Ossetian independence is a joke. We are talking about a smugglers' paradise of 60,000 people financed by the Russian security services. No one can seriously consider that as an independent state." He also dismissed Russian accusations that Mikheil Saakashvili was responsible for the conflict, saying he had merely "made a tactical blunder that turned into a strategic disaster".[81]

On 13 August, the President of Turkey Abdullah Gül had a phone conversation with Medvedev in which he highly praised Medvedev’s decisions, including those taken with the European Union, and expressed Turkey’s willingness to facilitate the implementation of the conflict resolution principles that all the parties had agreed to.[86]

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan went to Russia on 14 August to meet Putin.[87]

Ukraine stated that it reserved the right to bar Russian warships dispatched to Georgia from returning to their base in the Ukrainian city of Sevastopol.[91]

On 12 August 2008, Ukraine air-shipped more than 30 tons of humanitarian aid to Georgia.[92][93]

President Yushchenko visited Tbilisi on 12 August and gave a speech. He spoke in support of Georgia in its aspiration to freedom and independence. He stated, "We came here to prove your sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. These are our values. [...] You never be alone."[94]

On 13 August Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko stated, "We stand in solidarity with the democratically-elected leadership of Georgia. Georgia's sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected".[95]

In contrast, Viktor Yanukovych, the leader of the Party of Regions stated that Ukraine should recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He stated that the situation should be treated like Kosovo.[96][97] The Communist Party also registered a draft resolution to recognise the two republics.[98] After his election as President, Yanukovych said on 4 June 2010: "I have never recognized Abkhazia, South Ossetia or Kosovo's independence. This is a violation of international law."[99]

Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko said that he intended to increase the rent for the Russian naval base at Sevastopol in the Crimea.[100]

On 4 September Yushchenko threatened to dissolve parliament and call snap elections, blaming the crisis on supporters of Yulia Tymoshenko. Tymoshenko blamed the crisis on Yushchenko's "fight" for next year's presidential election. She also claimed her position on Georgia was in line with the EU position, and that she did not want to drag Ukraine into any conflicts.[101]

On 9 August, the British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband said, "Russia has extended the fighting today well beyond South Ossetia, attacking the Georgian port of Poti, and the town of Gori, while Abkhaz forces have been shelling Georgian positions in the Upper Kodori valley. I deplore this."[103]

Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Edward Davey, said: "We need a ceasefire and urgent negotiations to stop the military action escalating." "There is also the risk of Abkhazia raising the stakes by cutting vital hydro-electricity supplies to Georgia," he added.[104]

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, after being informed of Human Rights Watch and BBC findings of possible Georgian war crimes, calling Georgia's actions "reckless", he added that "the Russian response was reckless and wrong".[105]

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said on 8 August, "All sides should bring an immediate end to the violence and engage in direct talks to resolve this matter peacefully."[107]

US president George W. Bush said to Russia, "Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century."[108] "Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people," said Bush. "Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st century."[109] President George W. Bush called the Russian bombings a dangerous escalation.[110]

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice stated, "We call on Russia to cease attacks on Georgia by aircraft and missiles, respect Georgia's territorial integrity, and withdraw its ground combat forces from Georgian soil."[111]

Vice President Dick Cheney said on 10 August, "Russian aggression must not go unanswered, and that its continuation would have serious consequences for its relations with the United States, as well as the broader international community."[112]

The US Embassy in Georgia, describing a Matthew Bryza press conference on 12 August, called the war an "incursion by one of the world's strongest powers to destroy the democratically-elected government of a smaller neighbor".[113]

On 21 August the US Ambassador to Russia John Beyrle claimed that the initial Russian reaction to Georgia's attack was legitimate.[114]

The Pentagon declared on 25 August that Russia had not met its obligations to withdraw troops from Georgia under the French-brokered ceasefire agreement.[115]

In his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on 4 August 2009, Assistant Secretary of State Philip H. Gordon referred to the events as "the Russian invasion."[116]

By 9 August, at least 100 Cossack volunteers had crossed the border from the North Caucasus to fight Georgia.[123]

Caritas Georgia also claimed to be providing medical help to the large number of casualties. Programme Manager Liana Mkheidze said, "Many people are coming to Tbilisi from Georgian villages around Tskinvali and the also from Gori. Their houses have been damaged and they’re escaping the bombardment." "Caritas Georgia distributed 1920 small cans of tuna-fish and 420 cans of canned meat together with 500 loaves of freshly baked bread from its own bakery. We are preparing to distribute more bread and preparing food at our soup-kitchen if necessary to provide food to those made homeless." Director of Caritas Vladikavkaz (North Ossetia–Alania) Sergey Basiev said, "There are lots of refugees seeking shelter. They have nothing. The situation is dreadful. We will try to meet these urgent needs."[133]

The member states backed a Russian proposal to impose an arms embargo on Georgia.[135] Armenian Foreign Minister Edvard Nalbandyan said, "We have come out with support for Russia's active role in contributing to peace and cooperation in the region."[135] But the CSTO (ODKB) did not follow Russia's lead at this meeting and did not recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.[136]

Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation Nikolai Bordyuzha claimed that "What is happening after the conflict … is certainly driving South Ossetia and Abkhazia into the collective security system," and further stated, "South Ossetia and Abkhazia can not successfully and steadily develop without [being part of] a collective security system, without the backing of other states."[137][138]

On 12 August, Sarkozy reportedly convinced Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin not to follow through with his plans to overthrow the Georgian government and "hang Saakashvili by the balls".[140]

On 11 August, ICRC released a statement saying they were sending 15 tonnes of medicine and medical supplies to the conflict zone. They stated "the ICRC has officially reminded Georgia and Russia of their obligation under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and distinguish at all times between the civilian population and those taking a direct part in the hostilities. The four Geneva Conventions, their Additional Protocol I and the customary rules and principles of international humanitarian law are all applicable in this situation."[144]

On 11 August Russia called for an emergency meeting of the Russia-NATO Council to appeal for NATO’s assistance in ending the crisis, but the initiative was blocked by the United States.[146]

On 8 August at MSK 7 am an emergency session of the UN Security Council was expected to be held at Russia's request.[106] The session was held, but failed to reach an agreement.[158]

Between 06:00 GMT on 8 August and 23:00 GMT on 9 August, Russia tabled three resolutions calling upon all sides to renounce the use of force. Each time its efforts were opposed by the United Kingdom and the United States, who sided with Georgia’s UN Ambassador Irakli Alasania.[146]

In September 2008, Miguel d'Escoto Brockmann, the president of the UN General Assembly, claimed that Georgia "committed an act of aggression against South Ossetia and violated UN Charter."[159]