Georgia on my mind

Last August was dominated by Russia’s invasion of Georgia and two recent stories are reminders that this conflict could flare up again.

Radio Free Europe reports that Georgian officials says that Obama told Medvedev and Putin that the US “would not stand aside” if Russia marched in again. At first glance, this seems odd. Obama stumbled during the presidential campaign last year because of his cautious reaction to Russia’s move and it would be unusual for him to be sounding more bellicose in office than he was on the campaign trail. Also, Obama’s diplomacy so far has been thoroughly realist — it would be more in keeping with his administration’s modus operandi, for it to be looking for some grand bargain with Russia.   

But there are some intriguing bits of supporting evidence for the Georgian claim. First, Joe Biden’s recent interview with the WSJ where he made clear that the Russian leadership needed to adapt to the country’s diminished power suggested that Washington was not scared of trying to put Moscow in its place.