Targeted, Tbilisi again makes the mistakes of 2008
Russia has been beefing up its border forces with Georgia ever since Tbilisi felt strong enough to acquire “candidate EU membership” status, as it did with Ukraine.
Already crippled since 2008 when the Georgians wanted to attack Russian UN peacekeeping troops in South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Georgia insists on “bothering” Russia.
Today, Georgia is Moscow’s “first target” after Ukraine: Azerbaijan’s oil and gas pipelines pass through Georgia to Turkey and then to the EU with a first stop in Greece!
Two of these pipelines also pass through Greece: The TAP pipeline and the Greek-Bulgarian IGB pipeline.
The targeting of Georgia is no accident and Tbilisi seems to have forgotten what happened in 2008.
Azerbaijan and the Southern Natural Gas Corridor depend on Georgia.
The future Trans-Caspian which will further connect to both TANAP and TAP.
At the same time, another country that the US and the EU consider to be able to provide hydrocarbons to the West, is Kazakhstan, the largest oil producer in Central Asia, and an important supplier of natural gas, right after Russia and Turkmenistan.
More than 250 oil and gas fields are operated in Kazakhstan by 104 companies, including Western energy giants such as Chevron, Total, ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell.
Most of Kazakhstan’s oil exports to the EU go through Russia via the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC).
The EU realizes what will happen if this pipeline is blocked and for this reason they are planning another new Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor which will pass through: Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey.
Although it is foolish to think that Kazakhstan is not controlled by Russia, especially after the events that preceded the Russian intervention in Ukraine, nevertheless, Georgia is the “link” of the hydrocarbon fields of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan to Europe
And it is reasonable to believe in Moscow that Kazakhstan will also stop having “worries” once tiny Georgia follows Ukraine’s fate.
And then Moscow will control all the flow of oil and natural gas of the Caspian and Central Asia.
Already Russia through South Ossetia in the approximately two-kilometer section of the 840-kilometer Baku-Akstafa-Tbilisi-Gori-Samtretia-Supsa (Azerbaijan-Georgia) oil pipeline.
The Azerbaijan-Georgia pipeline operates without interruption in all sections including the section passing through the territory of South Ossetia.
Russia with a move in Georgia closes almost three plus two EU pipelines causing chaos and energy blackout.
Even the creation of the Russia-India trade corridor, through the Caspian and Iran, as well as the agreement for investments of 40 billion dollars by Gazprom in the Iranian energy sector, are plans that go through the neutralization of Georgia as an anti-Russian factor in the Caucasus.
The treatment of Georgian mercenaries in Ukraine by the Russians, after the latter’s war crimes against Russian prisoners during the conflicts in Kyiv, shows what is to come: Their surrenders were not accepted. Those who did not die in the battle, died after it…
Georgian troops attack the capital of South Ossetia, hours after a ceasefire agreement, killing at least ten Russian peacekeepers stationed in the region.
Units of the Russian 58th Army enter South Ossetia to repel the Georgian offensive while fighter jets bomb military installations on Georgian soil. Russian President N. Medvedev pledges to defend his Russian compatriots.
By decision of the Georgian Parliament, a “state of war” is declared in the country for 15 days.
Two Georgian missile boats are trying to “break” the naval blockade by units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, resulting in the sinking of the one that Greece had donated to Georgia.
Russian authorities confirm the downing of a Su-25 and a Tu-22M3 Backfire by Georgian anti-aircraft systems.
Russian forces occupy a military base in the town of Senaki, 40 km inside Georgian territory from the border with Abkhazia.
The commander of Russian forces in South Ossetia Major General Anatoly Krulev is wounded by Georgian fire.
The Russian Army reaches 35 km outside the capital Tbilisi. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili eats his tie live.
