Vladimir Putin Is Not Our Friend Part MCMIX

The President of the Soviet Republic (and Stalin's homeland) of Georgia makes an unprecedented appeal in the Western press:

We will not jeopardize the progress we have made by any rash acts. It is not inconceivable that Moscow is trying to taunt us into a self-destructive response, one which would provide an excuse for Russia to smite the success story to its south. After all, democracy can be contagious. But there is no risk of our acting irresponsibly, despite the caricatures of our government, spread by ill-wishers, of being impetuous. Our actions in recent weeks fly in the face of this. We are constrained by democratic instincts, and by our responsibility to citizens and allies.
In fact, the most puzzling aspect of Russia's latest onslaught is that it was unprovoked. A week ago, after holding a group of Russian intelligence officers for just 72 hours after they were caught red-handed spying on Georgia, my government released them. Regrettably, this was not the first instance when individuals involved in similar--even lethal--acts were detained and handed over to Russian authorities.

We believed this latest gesture of goodwill, magnanimous by any measure, would mark a hopeful turning point in our troubled relations with the current Russian government. For far too long, we have been subjected to Moscow's economic sanctions, its mortal meddling in our breakaway provinces, and its contempt for our democratic institutions. We wanted to mark a break from this history of distrust. Little could we have imagined that, instead, Moscow would unleash a wave of retribution that many in Russia have labeled ethnic cleansing. Still, even while Russian police were hunting down Georgians, I have been heartened by the courage of many ethnically Russian citizens who have taken to the streets wearing a yellow star with the words: "I am Georgian."

Despite this downward spiral, conditions exist for a peaceful resolution to the present impasse. Georgia poses no physical threat to Russia--how could a nation of less than five million souls challenge a nuclear-armed power over 30 times its size? But for us to stand tall, our friends must stand tall beside us. If any one of us gives in to bullying or tolerates the politics of ethnic hatred, we are all at risk. The values that hold together the international order are like a chain--only as strong as its weakest link. To jeopardize or neglect this link implies peril for the entire trans-Atlantic community. Today, Georgia has become an integral part of the Western security fabric.

The essential question confronting the international community is this: Is Moscow reacting to a specific, unique threat it perceives from Georgia? Or is Georgia a target of opportunity, a chimerical foil created by some politicians for domestic purposes? Put another way, does the malignancy reside in Georgia, or Russia? A misdiagnosis could have dire consequences for Western security. Because if the international community downplays the current rift--or worse, if it pressures Georgia to back down on all counts, shunting aside its hard-earned principles and values--then the problem will simply metastasize to another place.

Russia's vital place in the international order is secure. It is a veto-wielding member of the U.N. Security Council. Its natural resources fuel the European and global economy. It owns a fierce nuclear force. No one, let alone Georgia, should ever call for isolating Russia in the manner of a North Korea or Zimbabwe. At the same time, however, we must not turn a blind eye to what is happening to human rights and the norms of international behavior.

But, since Dubya's looked into Putin's soul, I suppose we needn't be worried with him swallowing Georgia too.