Roman MUZALEVSKY

The war in Georgia and aftermath : Russian national security and implications for the west

This paper analyzes Russian national security calculus evident in the 2008 war with Georgia and assesses implications stemming from the war and the world financial crisis for the international security and West-Russia relations. Specifically, issues of Russian national identity, energy export routes, geography, democracy promotion, territorial integrity, and humanitarian intervention are assessed in the context of the war and Russian security. Recommendations are then provided for the West’s relations with Russia following the conflict in Georgia. The paper concludes that while Russia is responsible for the disproportionate use of force against Georgia, the West, and particularly the US, should also be tougher with Georgia, which decided to invade South Ossetia, and engage rather than alienate Russia to effectively maintain international security and deal with the regional impacts of the global financial crisis. Furthermore, recognizing the shift in global power to the East, the West ought to be more realistic, but not less firm, when dealing with the traditional power that Russia positions itself as.

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