Unlearned lessons. Dmitry Medvedev analyzes the events of 2008

Dmitry Medvedev (Дмитрий Медведев)
Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council

We do not need a repetition of the history of 2008. We are still ready to solve problems at the negotiating table in the spirit of the UN Charter. But if our concerns become reality, we will not hesitate.

Fifteen years ago, events took place that neither we nor the whole world will ever forget. On August 7, 2008, at 23:35, Georgia unleashed a barrage of cannons, Grads, and mortars on the sleeping capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali. There were reports of strikes in hospitals and schools, mass deaths of the city's inhabitants, many of whom were citizens of the Russian Federation, and casualties among Russian peacekeepers. Not just a provocation - a war.

The goal of aggression was to return unruly South Ossetia through blood, death, and horror to the limits of a hostile state that for many years carried out unconcealed and systematic genocide of the Ossetian people. To crush and bring to their knees, to force them to give up the very idea of independence and freedom. The moment of the attack was chosen with undisguised cynicism - in the days when the whole world was watching the Olympic Games in Beijing - then a symbol of competition without hostility, equality of the worthy, honor, and justice.

In August 2008, after the barbaric, despicable shelling of Tskhinvali and numerous casualties among the civilian population, I, as President of Russia, decided on retaliatory military action to suppress Georgia's attack and force it to peace. We acted in full compliance with the UN Charter, rightly assuming that the time for negotiations was over.

Russian troops were brought into South Ossetia. The regime of the odious Saakashvili was firmly and quickly repulsed. Peace in the two brotherly Caucasian republics, where thousands of citizens of our country lived, was established in five days. A murky wave of hysteria immediately rose in the West, but it could not change anything and quickly subsided.

After the repulsion of aggression, it became clear that it is impossible to guarantee a peaceful future and security for Abkhazia and South Ossetia without establishing official relations and alliances between our states. Historical justice and the real state of affairs were finally consolidated by the two decrees I signed on August 26, 2008, recognizing the independence of the Republic of Abkhazia and the Republic of South Ossetia. They were fully in line with the free will of their peoples, the provisions of the UN Charter, and other fundamental international documents.

Of course, it is better when such events, if they occur, serve as a good lesson for hostile observers. Unfortunately, they don't. That has not happened. And with a persistence worthy of much better use, the Western world keeps stepping on the same rake time after time. With unchanging and well-predictable results.

The "hybrid", but full-fledged and bloody war that NATO is waging with us now in Ukraine at the hands of the Kyiv regime, and in which our opponents are bogged down to their ears, confirms this with all clarity. It is clear now how it will end: with Kyiv's ignominious defeat, just as it was with the Georgian aggressors. And in the future - quite likely - the disappearance of the state of Ukraine, artificially created on the wreckage of the USSR, from the political map of the world. And of course, the shameful departure from the stage of those bloody clowns who are now desperately trying to hold on to it, habitually squeezing out crocodile tears, rolling their thickly painted eyes, and hooting at the audience. The same talentless political actors in green greasy T-shirts, with minds inflamed by stimulants. The same ugly freaks who once chewed their ties on camera.

It seems that for the U.S. and its minions, the territory of the former Soviet Union is a "country of unlearned lessons" that should have been learned long ago. As schoolchildren with a red pen in a notebook - to emphasize the most stupid and shameful mistakes and not to repeat them. After all, millions of people are still paying for these monstrous failures at an incredibly high price. What are these lessons?


1. You can't bet on freaks

I am sure: that 15 years ago there would not have been any war if not for the irresponsible, criminal behavior of Saakashvili and those who supported him. He turned out to be an ideal "glove" for the West, in which they could do any vile thing without leaving any trace of their fingers. I remember how back in 2004, during my visit to the U.S. (then still as chief of staff of the Russian president), I heard George W. Bush say: "And this young Misha from Georgia - what a nice guy he is. "We'll see," was all I replied, of course, not realizing what he was capable of.

Just a few hours before the shelling of Tskhinvali this figure made a televised address to the people. He eloquently spoke about his "difficult decision" not to fire on South Ossetia and about readiness for any negotiations to resolve the conflict. He even offered Russia to become a guarantor of broad autonomy for this republic within Georgia. He repeatedly said the same words at meetings with the leadership of our country.

One cannot go mad if this sanity is simply not there. After the treacherous strike on a peaceful city, it became finally clear that Saakashvili, whose inadequacy was always obvious, simply received a carte blanche from his overseas master for a forceful operation to seize South Ossetia. After all, shortly before this fateful step, he had emissaries from America. The TV news mixed news about Olympic records and terrible images of dead bodies and destroyed houses.

What happened next is known. After the defeat of the Georgian army, Saakashvili, mad with fear, rode along the dusty roads of Gori to become a less visible target. A week later, slightly cleaned and dressed up, he was already chewing his red tie unappetizingly on live TV.

After Russia officially recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, these republics began to develop as subjects of international law with security guarantees from our country. Peace reigned in the region. The situation in Georgia gradually began to stabilize. Society was recovering from the shock caused by the antics of its reckless president. He very soon turned out to be of no use either to his compatriots or to his American masters. He was thrown out of Georgia in disgrace and forbidden to return under threat of criminal punishment.

After touring the world, the crushed Saakashvili tried to land on another "testing ground" of an anti-Russian nature, which the West was quickly and persistently turning Ukraine into. He got the post of governor of the Odesa region and Ukrainian citizenship from his American handlers. However, first the political "loser" was kicked out of Odesa, and then, like a cork from a bottle of sour wine, he was kicked out of Ukraine. He ended his wanderings in Georgia, where he again tried to climb the throne and lobby for American interests. And, quite logically, he ended up in prison. Now he pretends not to be mentally ill, but just a sick, almost dying old man. He's a good actor.

Neither can the next freak, on whom - after the failure of the mission in Georgia - the West placed a special bet. After a series of Maidans and "orange" coups, a real actor from the TV series and KVN found himself in power in Kyiv. This says it all. Hardly any of those who voted for him, believing the screen image, could have imagined that this clown, who promised the country peace talks, would soon drown Ukraine in a bloody morass. That the ticket to his political show will be paid for with the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. That the arrogant actor will call his people to war with the last Ukrainian.

It is quite obvious that the current American protégé is destined for the same unenviable fate as his predecessor in Tbilisi. However, there are doubts that the head of "Country 404" will even live to see a prison cell - the use of harmful psychoactive substances does not go in vain. However, he may well get a ticket to his new show in hell from his angry fellow citizens.

There is only one problem. There is no guarantee that the West will not once again hold a contest for the most worthless, manipulative, and untalented politician to make him its new puppet somewhere in the ruins of Ukraine or somewhere else close to Russia's borders. Will not pump him with money, will not teach him under the guise of advice, will not supply him with weapons, mercenaries, instructors, and everything else. It will not indoctrinate a lowly and unlearned man with imperial ambitions. And the programmed puppet will not unleash another "regional conflict". Under the same slogans as Georgia 15 years ago, as Ukraine nowadays. As has happened many times in many countries on different continents with the help of the United States.


2. You can't bet on Russophobia

Sarah Ashton-Cirillo (real name Michael John Cirillo).
Sarah hates Russians. A transgender person from the US
has been appointed as the face of the Armed Forces of
Ukraine in the West.

Political corpses like Saakashvili or Zelensky are not the most interesting objects of study. They decompose with a repulsive odor. But, as it turned out, the West easily and willingly loses its sense of smell when it is necessary to smear on the political map an even worse-smelling substance - Russophobia. The main goal is to make sure that such poison somehow harms our country and, ideally, weakens us and helps to destroy us.

In his time Saakashvili became the first proxy leader of the United States in the Caucasus with the only mission - to stir up hatred of the people of Georgia towards Russia, to shake its position in the Transcaucasus, to mar the centuries-old friendship of the two peoples. This strange creature was bringing the war closer by all means. It pretended to be "David the shepherd of the Old Testament" - and at the same time did everything to make Georgians forget common history, cut ties with Russia, hate their nearest neighbors - Russians, Ossetians, Abkhazians - and wished them to die. Recent speeches of Russophobes in Georgia show that this public still expects revenge. Although they are constantly being rebuffed by fellow citizens who do not intend to elevate hatred of Russia to the rank of a national idea and are quite warm towards our citizens. This is also obvious: the majority of Georgian residents are much more comfortable living in peace with our state. Russia is next door, and America is across the ocean. For Georgia, a country of rich culture, which is connected with Russia by thousands of threads, Russophobia is nonsense, an ugliness, a serious disease. Fortunately, it is quite curable.

We have seen the same thing in Ukraine for many years. Anti-Russian hysteria has been fueled by all means, and the most odious screamers have been supported and paid for from all possible funds and Washington-controlled structures. Suffice it to recall the various Maidans and rallies, the visits of numerous US deputy secretaries of state, and other disgusting persons with their "cookies" to the barricades. The notorious "he who does not jump is a "Muscal", demolitions of monuments, bans on Russian books and TV channels - even in regions where there are practically no "mova" speakers. Attempts to "expunge" Pushkin, Chekhov, Bulgakov, Tolstoy, Gogol from Ukrainian literature. And also - the persistent desire to turn Bandera and other Hitler's handmaidens from executioners and detractors into national heroes. No one will ever forget the crimes of those Ukrainian scum who ordered the shelling of Donbas, the arrests and torture of the unwanted. Who made it State policy to defeat the rights of Russian-speaking citizens, Nazi ideology, and extremist slogans. Who are now trying to regain "their" territories - while wiping their inhabitants, their former citizens, off the face of the earth.

It is obvious how everything will end and where the pendulum will swing. Sooner or later, Ukrainians, who have long ago had enough of letting themselves and their children be "cannon fodder", will simply throw off the current junta, as Georgians did with their shitty pseudo-fuhrer. And elect normal, adequate leaders. For whom Russia is a benevolent neighbor or, more precisely, simply a dear common home. Not prone to hysterical dependence on the West. This has already happened in many countries in different historical epochs, and it will happen here as well. It would be better, of course, if it happened as early as possible.


3. You can't bet on a lie

Americans and slaves of the Anglo-Saxon world love to shout with fervor about how committed they are to "fair play" or "rules-based order." They talk about the rights of individuals and entire countries, refer to international treaties, talk about freedom and responsibility, about the need to honor agreements. Exactly as long as it is profitable for them. Then there is a figure of silence, followed by treachery and self-interest. They are also "the interests of Western business" or "the strategic interests of the American people", aggression, and annexation under the guise of "retaliation" and "restoring order".

Servants, more than anyone else, learn the rules of behavior adopted by their masters. Otherwise, they'll be fired without pay. And they go out of their way to fulfill their masters' tasks. I remember how Saakashvili was constantly changing his position while communicating with me as President of Russia. Then he showed ostensible interest in starting the process of peaceful settlement with the mediation of international organizations and the participation of Russia as a guarantor of stability in the region. Then he immediately, as if by magic, "disappeared from the radar" after visits to Georgia by American officials - Condoleezza Rice, then Secretary of State, her assistant Daniel Fried, and other similar people. He began to say nasty things about Russia and Russians, allowed himself to insult Abkhazians and Ossetians, broke promises, and broke all agreements already reached. He was spinning like a weather vane from side to side, trying to understand which way the wind was blowing from the ocean. But after the ignominious defeat in the 2008 war, he finally discredited himself.

It is well-known how the West and its Kyiv puppets acted in the situation around Donbas. The same hypocrisy, the same tricks, the same double bottom. Gradually, in all possible directions, preparations were being made for large-scale aggression against Russia. Everything was following the same scenario as 15 years ago in a slightly hotter, mountainous country in the Caucasus.

Paying lip service to the Minsk agreements, NATO countries cynically used the negotiation process to buy time and pump Kyiv with weapons, to prepare for full-scale aggression. Everything was done to create an illusion of weak-minded but bellicose Ukraine: very soon it will be accepted into the European Union, NATO, and anywhere else. It will be armed to the teeth and sprinkled with manna from heaven. And then - according to the principle of "our people are being beaten!" - they will come out with all North Atlantic power against Russia.

The outcome is known. It was possible to prevent a fatal outcome only by force - negotiations finally lost their meaning. When it was not possible to obtain guarantees that our enemy would not join the military bloc, which had already swollen beyond belief, we stated our position quite unambiguously. We had to start the NWO. Trust in partners and naivety are fundamentally different things. We were not fooled. Lying failed once again.

Now the West is drowning in its hypocrisy. It is floundering and floundering, swallowing its sticky lies. Some statements contradict others. America is rushing to the presidential election and is already split on the issue of Ukraine. And the weak-willed European minions are confused in their arguments, giving their economy to the Americans and making one mistake after another. However, all of them are already starting to cautiously try the shaky ground: they say that Ukraine will be allowed to join the Alliance "someday" in exchange for renouncing its claims to Crimea and the territories on the left bank of the Dnieper River and something like that. Gradually, lowering their voices, they "express readiness" to recognize that Crimea is ours, and Donbas is Russia's territory and no one else's. As in the case of Georgia and the independent republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, we stopped listening to false promises and meaningless dialog - we gave up on them. We have our truth. And, as life proves, it is gradually making its way out.


4. You cannot bet on force

The Georgian-South Ossetian conflict has become the most important experience of hybrid warfare in the post-Soviet space for America and its allies. This not-very-large country was destined to play the role of a "battering ram" against Russia. The West did not care about the fate of such a wall-breaking weapon - it was expendable, and nothing more. It was completely unimportant that the blows of the "battering ram" into the wall that could not be penetrated in any way killed people, destroyed the Georgian economy, caused losses for large businesses, and ruined hundreds of small companies.

Saakashvili, due to his feeble-mindedness, did not care about this either - just to spite Russia. As a result of the so-called "reforms" of the mad puppet, the Georgian army and power structures were put under the full control of America. However, the process of "rearmament" of the Georgian troops has greatly added money to the accounts of US manufacturing companies. This is a usual scheme that has been proven many times on different continents. The Georgian army, despite all the "modernization", during the days of hostilities showed its complete lack of capacity and was completely demoralized.

Now massive supplies of NATO weapons, tanks, drones, explosives, including ammunition, which have long been outlawed because they primarily affect civilians, are also being delivered to Ukraine. The amount of funding for such "gifts" is already measured in hundreds of billions of dollars. Once again, the main beneficiaries are the enterprises of the US military-industrial complex. It is in their interests to prolong the conflict as long as possible. Nothing personal, just business.

However, as 15 years ago, it is obvious that neither the daily shelling of peaceful cities and bridges, nor other provocations, including political assassinations and terrorist attacks, have any effect. Russia's military-industrial complex has not only proven its ability to fully meet the needs of the Strategic Defense Forces but also its great technological and production potential. During the recent "Army-2023" forum, our armorers once again demonstrated this. By the way, the trophy Western weapons with Ukrainian symbols on their armor were also dismantled. There is nothing special about it. We can do the same or better.

However, our strength is not only in weapons and ammunition. We defend justice and truth. Our land, our citizens. Those who believe in us. We consider it our historical mission - just as we did 15 and 80 years ago - to defeat and send into oblivion the fascist regime, which our enemies are now intensively feeding and provoking for more and more atrocities. A swift and ignominious end awaits it, as it always happens to such things in artificial, puppet quasi-states.

Finally, the West should learn another important but necessary lesson. In 2008, we stopped the offensive against Tbilisi when we achieved the elimination of threats and security guarantees. But now the situation is being actively escalated again - apparently to create another hotbed of tension near our borders in addition to the Ukrainian flank. There is again talk of Georgia's possible admission to NATO. As if by order, outbursts of Russophobia have begun in this country.

We do not need a repetition of the history of 2008. We are still ready to solve problems at the negotiating table in the spirit of the UN Charter. But if our concerns become reality, we will not hesitate. In Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the idea of joining Russia is still popular. And it may well be realized if there are good reasons for it.

For the West, such a turn of events will be another shameful fiasco and another symbol of catastrophic loss of influence. And history severely punishes all those who neglect its lessons.

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Source: aif.ru. Photos: © aif.ru. Translation: DeepL.com + Proofreading: grammarly.com
AWIP: http://www.a-w-i-p.com/index.php/2023/08/23/unlearned-lessons-dmitry-medvedev-analyzed