The Russia News Round Up was compiled by Louis Laverone, MEMG Vice President
RUSSIA – Turkey has not allowed U.S. Navy vessels passage to Georgia
Several officials in the American administration confirmed to the newsgroup "Maklatchi" that President Bush quickly assigned the U.S. Navy to transport humanitarian supplies to Georgia without consulting the Turkish government, without whose permission American naval vessels cannot travel through the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits. A senior administration representative remarked... "At this moment, we should check our responsibilities under (international) agreements, our bilateral relations with Turkey and other allies, our options within the bounds of maritime regulations, and which vessels can pass through and be used..." (RIA Novosti)
Full Article (Russian): http://www.rian.ru/osetia_news/20080815/150417691.html
RUSSIA TODAY EDITORIAL – Beyond South Ossetia – the New World Order
Georgia's (still) President Mikhail Saakashvili threw the dice and lost everything. His blind ambition to return South Ossetia to Tbilisi's control through force has resulted in an unmitigated defeat for Georgia's sovereignty. The world needs to take note and it signals things to come...The catalyst for all this was Kosovo... Washington and Brussels have unwittingly admitted that self-determination is more important than a state's sovereignty. Russia and Russians are following this lead. The post-Soviet space is poised for more change (of borders) and the West and its double-standards are the cause of this.... (Russia Today)
Full Article (English): http://www.russiatoday.com/employee/27
RUSSIA - Meeting with the President of South Ossetia Eduard Kokoity and President of Abkhazia Sergei Bagapsh (Transcript)
PRESIDENT OF RUSSIA DMITRY MEDVEDEV: Dear colleagues! A tragedy has claimed the lives of many people from the civilian population of South Ossetia and the Russian peacekeeping forces. I would like, dear colleagues, for you to first and foremost express our sincere condolences to all those who suffered and who have been affected by this barbaric aggression... I would like you to know and to convey to the people of South Ossetia and Abkhazia that the position of the Russian Federation will not change: we will support any decision taken by the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in accordance with the United Nations Charter, international conventions of 1966, and the Helsinki Act on security and cooperation in Europe. And we will not only support these decisions but will guarantee them in the Caucasus and in the world. (Office of the President of Russia)
Full Article (English): http://www.kremlin.ru/eng/text/speeches/2008/08/14/1708_type82912type82914_205321.shtml
RUSSIA – The War In Ossetia:
Moscow's attempts to meet Western condemnation of the war in Georgia are unsuccessful at the moment. Russian President Dimitri Medvedev was unable to assure German Chancellor Angela Merkel of the legality of the Russian troops in South Ossetia. Germany termed the army's movements excessive, and made it understood that the principle of Georgian territorial integrity is inviolable in the eyes of more than the United States.... At the Russian and German leaders' concluding press conference, it became apparent that Medvedev did not convince Merkel of Moscow's rights in the Caucasus. (ITAR-TASS)
Full Article (Russian): http://www.gazeta.ru/politics/2008/08/15_a_2812278.shtml
RUSSIA – Ministry of Defense Press Conference: "Understanding the Implications of Operations in South Ossetia"
Ministry of Defense Deputy Chief of Staff, General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, spoke to reporters today on the most recent casualty figures from South Ossetia, the future of the Russian peacekeeping mission, and expectations for the development of the situation. The video is approximately 45 minutes long, with 30 minutes of reporters' questions. Full transcript coming. (RIA Novosti)
Full Video (Russian): http://www.rian.ru/osetia_mm/20080813/150343760.html
