The political map of the world is changing rapidly. Equally rapidly some prominent political and religious figures change their color, their ideological orientation. Not only individual politicians and state leaders perish for mastering the natural, mainly oil and gas resources of the planet, but whole nations and states can sink in history or become a territory without a law ...
Against this background, we are witnessing Russia's titanic efforts to preserve the system of international treaties, without which the world is threatened by the actualization of ancient territorial disputes and plunging into general chaos. In contrast to Russia, the Western world has actually started dismantling the post-Yalta system. Acting brutally and cruelly, unabashedly applying military force under various far-fetched pretexts, military coalitions of the Western countries under the obvious or secret primacy of the United States multiply the destroyed states on the political map of the world. Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya ...
This list of the states that were actually destroyed (with the formal preservation of the attributes of independence, place in the UN and other international organizations) could include the Republic of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and the Syrian Arab Republic.
Let us examine in detail the role of Russia in normalization of the situation in Transcaucasia, on the example of South Ossetia and the Middle East on the example of Syria.
Georgia's armed aggression against South Ossetia began with strengthening of pro-Western forces in Georgia, even before their formal seizure of power, in November 1989 on charges of South Ossetians in separatism, although South Ossetia declared independence only on May 29, 1992, after Georgia stepped by step itself had destroyed all the legal and factual foundations of its statehood.
Leaving out the role of the Soviet Union that was collapsing at that time, we immediately move on to the actions of the Russian authorities to resolve the situation. Since March 1991, the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR kept an eye on the pulse of events taking place in South Ossetia, adopting resolutions and other decisions aimed at stabilizing the situation in South Ossetia. Among them - the announcement of sanctions against Georgia.
President of the RSFSR Boris Yeltsin and the head of one of its regions - North Ossetia Akhsarbek Galazov alternately met with the head of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia and the Chairman of the Parliament - the head of state Eduard Shevardnadze, to convince them to stop the bloodshed of the Ossetian people.
However, they are amazed to find complete incompetence and even insanity of the Georgian leaders.Convinced of the military weakness of Russia, Georgian leaders at the talks took a frankly mocking and dumb attitude to propagandize the so-called victory of the Georgian diplomacy over the Russian one. What is worth one utopian agreement with Gamsakhurdia to organize "joint police detachments" to disarm the warring parties, etc.Russia for the time being was forced to pretend that it tolerated such a state of affairs. However, already in June 1992, while still not fully resolving the main internal issues of strengthening his power, Russian President Boris Yeltsin forced the head of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze to sign the famous Sochi agreement, according to which on July 14, 1992, tripartite peacekeeping forces entered South Ossetia, which ceased mass killings of the Ossetian population. The killings of Ossetians continued after this event, but they were already of a single character. This is the murder of three peasants in the village of Khetagurovo in 1993, the killing of four civilians on the Tskhinval-Dzau road in 1994, etc.
South Ossetia was not recognized by the Russian Federation, but it was created a new international political format of the Joint Control Commission to settle the Georgian-Ossetian conflict, in which, two years later, South Ossetia gained a place of an equal part of the international negotiating process, recognized by all parties, and thus, the Georgian- Ossetian conflict ceased to be a purely internal matter of Georgia.
The period of peaceful settlement of the conflict covers 1992-2004. All this period, when Georgia temporarily refused to use weapons to establish its control over South Ossetia, Russia provided all possible assistance to the population of the conflict zone. Considering that since February 1, 1991 the "Union of Independent Power Engineers of Georgia" stopped the regular supply of electricity to South Ossetia, Russia already in 1992 built a power transmission line from North Ossetia to South, through which electricity was supplied to South Ossetia. But it was so expensive that the entire annual budget of South Ossetia was not enough to pay for it. Therefore, it was supplied one hour in the morning and an hour and a half in the evening. But that was better than nothing.
Russian diplomacy also managed to get the Georgian side to include in the text of the Russian-Georgian intergovernmental agreement the phrase that the Georgian side welcomed these supplies. At first glance, a meaningless proposal began to sparkle with new colors in just a few years, when the next Georgian president, Saakashvili, began demanding an end to the supply of electricity from Russia to South Ossetia along this line, calling them "smuggling."
The Russian Federation over the years managed to achieve the signing of two important intergovernmental agreements with Georgia on rendering assistance to South Ossetia - from 1993 and from 2000. Since Georgia was against the use of the term "South Ossetia", Russia was forced to temporarily accept the use of the phrase "zone of the Georgian-Ossetian conflict". This allowed Russia to help South Ossetia. The size of this aid was very limited due to Russia's extremely difficult economic situation, but it gave the people of South Ossetia the reason to hope for a better future.
The radical turn came in 2004, when already in the middle of the three-month summer war (May 31-August 19, 2004), South Ossetia managed to prove that it too represented some militarily value and ws not an easy target for the appetites of Georgian politics. Thanks to Russia, pensions, salaries and scholarships began to increase in South Ossetia, one after another after more than 10 years of ruin, the university, schools, kindergartens, cultural centers, medical institutions, etc. were completely or partially repaired.
The great contribution was made by Russian diplomacy in the negotiation process after Mikhail Saakashvili began the process of defrosting the situation and launching hostilities (which include not only shelling, kidnapping and killing of civilians, but also water and food blockade, as well as restricting the freedom of movement of civilians). Repeatedly providing its territory, including the apartments of the Russian Foreign Ministry, for conducting negotiations, clear leadership of the peacekeeping mission (informally from the very beginning, formally since 2002), strict observance of its role as guarantor of the peaceful settlement envisaged by the Moscow Memorandum of 1996, and, especially, effective concern for the development of the infrastructure of the conflict zone (while Georgia, on the contrary, destroyed it), Russia made a huge contribution to the settlement of the situation, until the very last moment, delaying the beginning of military aggression of Georgia.
But even after the beginning of the military aggression of Georgia, Russia, faithful to the previously signed agreements, the role of the guarantor of peace assigned to it, through its clear, coordinated military, political, diplomatic and economic steps, managed not only to establish peace in the conflict zone, but also to restore South Ossetia from the ashes. Thanks to Russia, the population of South Ossetia for the first time since 1989 feels itself protected from an external threat, step by step social problems are solved, steps are being taken to economic development, harmonious education of the younger generation.
In contrast to South Ossetia, the situation in Syria is far from being resolved. However, here we can draw some parallels.
As in South Ossetia, the war in Syria was unleashed by the pro-Western forces. Subsequently, thousands of hordes of bandits, terrorists, and chain war dogs joined them, being armed to the teeth both by Western financial sources under the cover of pseudo-Muslim funds, and by some large money sources in close proximity to the scene.
At first, the situation seemed innocuous internal confrontation. The opposition, which quickly became armed, first operated on democratic slogans. However, the terrorists soon bared their true face, not hesitating even to shoot and distribute the video, as they cut breasts of the wounded soldiers of the Syrian army, tearing and eating their still beating hearts. It's amazing, but even after these monstrous shots were published, the Western countries did not stop supporting terrorists, whom they called "moderate opposition." At the same time, even such a terrorist organization got into the lists of the "moderate opposition", the participants of which cold-bloodedly, on the camera, cut the throat of the wounded child ...
In addition, terrorists in Syria repeatedly distributed shots of atrocious massacres against civilians and over captured armed opponents: shootings, cutting throats, burning alive in an iron cage. However, even these cadres failed to keep the Western countries from further financing of terrorism - both directly and indirectly.
Although secular Syria was closely integrated into the Western world, Western countries, one by one, began to break all ties with the legitimate Syrian government, showing that they had long been plotting to crush this country and subjugate its proud, freedom-loving people. The only country that came to the aid of the Syrian people in this tragic moment of the centuries-old history of Syria is the Russian Federation.
Russia, acting solely legally, at the official request of the Syrian leadership recognized by the United Nations, is helping the Syrian people in the liberation of Syria from the hordes of international terrorists that infested it, Syrian, killers of Syrian women and children, Christian monks and nuns, destroyers of all religions and UNESCO-recognized priceless monuments of architectural heritage of humanity.
Russia is doing its best to minimize losses among the peaceful population of Syria. Even in these conditions, Russia is doing everything possible to call for peace of the disoriented people who have embarked on the path of criminal craft. The main thing is to bring the peace closer, to avoid further human losses, the final ruin of the country.
Russia and Syria are making practical, peace-loving steps. At the same time, it would be incorrect to believe that Russia relies solely on military power. On the contrary - as in South Ossetia, great importance is attached to political and diplomatic forms and methods of work. The Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties is operating in the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic. The Russian Space Forces together with the Syrian Arab Army earlier, as necessary, repeatedly opened corridors for the exit of both militants and civilians, suspended air strikes.
It is clear that only military measures cannot bring success. We need painstaking, long-term work to bring together the positions of supporters of the government and those who have not tarnished themselves with crimes against civilians and collaboration with terrorists. This is what the already mentioned Russian Center for the Reconciliation of Warring Parties in Syria is doing. Agreements on reconciliation are constantly signed with representatives of the settlements. Negotiations are constantly being held with field commanders of illegal armed groups and armed opposition groups on the cessation of hostilities.
At the same time, the Russian Air Forces and the Syrian Air Forces do not strike at the opposition armed groups that announced the cessation of hostilities and informed the Russian or American reconciliation centers of their location.
Of course, therefore, in the eyes of the local population - both militants and civilians - Russia enjoys greater confidence than the US and its allies. Moreover, Russia not only conducts large-scale work on mutual understanding and reconciliation, but also does not forget about the humanitarian component of the process of establishing peace. Almost every day, or even several a day, humanitarian actions are carried out, during which the civilian population has already received hundreds of tons of the most needed food and non-food items.
This behavior contrasts sharply with the actions of the White House, which focus on preserving their dominant position in the region, but not cooperation with the legitimate Syrian government for the sake of long-term peace in the Middle East.
The numerous and well-armed detachments of militants of "moderate terrorists" under the US patronage hinder the conduct of humanitarian operations, use peaceful citizens as human shields, commit excesses and execute bloody massacres against local residents wishing to leave the terrorist-controlled settlements.
The events that are taking place clearly show that it was Russia that made a real contribution to the defeat of the terrorists, namely Russia is really interested in the further peaceful development of the Syrian people. At the same time, we confirmed our earlier thesis that, despite the military defeat of the main forces of terrorists, many more efforts need to be made to establish a lasting, comprehensive peace in Syria. Moreover, when other influential forces are so active to wish continuing the bloodshed for achieving their goals.
Against the backdrop of the obvious successes in the fight against terrorists and in connection with the intensification of the political process, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during the meeting with the head of the Syrian Arab Republic, Bashar Assad, this spring that the armed forces of other states should leave the country.
This refers to those states the troops of which illegally occupy the territory of Syria without the consent of the legitimate government of the Arab Republic. These are, first of all, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the French Republic. And, if the UK holds one bridgehead, and France - five, then the United States - as many as twelve!
Is it any wonder that the location of foreign interventionists coincides with the zones of control of various kinds of illegal armed formations, waging a fratricidal war against the Syrian people.
However, the US not only does not want to withdraw its troops from the territory of a sovereign state, where they are undesirable guests, but also require the withdrawal of Iranian troops that are there with the knowledge and consent of the legitimate authorities of Syria.
"Iran must withdraw absolutely all forces under its command from all over Syria," US Secretary of State Marc Pompeo said on May 18 laying out US demands for Tehran in a keynote speech.
Precisely because Western countries and their allies in the region pursue their own goals, far from the legitimate interests of the Syrian people, the war in this long-suffering region of the world continues to this day. Every day, news agencies' tapes bring alarming reports from battlefields.
Nevertheless, most of the country is liberated from terrorists. Idlib is the last province in Syria controlled by the fighters "Hayat Tahrir ash Sham" * (formerly "Djebhat an Nusra" - Ed.) and several other illegal armed groups. Near its administrative border, in the province of Ham is the city of Maharda, in which mostly Orthodox Christians live. The other day the militants of the group "Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham" * fired at him.
"As a result of shelling by militants of the terrorist group" Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham " * 10 rocket launchers were fired from the positions of the illegal armed formation" Jays al-Izza "*, nine civilians, including three children, were killed, more than 30 people were injured "- said the head of the Russian Center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria, Lieutenant-General Vladimir Savchenko
Savchenko has added that in just 24 hours, terrorists fired at 19 settlements. Russian military doctors provided medical assistance to 68 residents, including 27 children.
Although the war in Syria has not yet come to an end, simultaneously with strikes against the forces of terrorists, Russia is making great efforts to normalize the humanitarian situation in those settlements that have been freed from terrorists since the beginning of the military campaign and are returning to peaceful life.
As we see on the examples of the Republic of South Ossetia and the Syrian Arab Republic, Russia has a leading role in normalization of the situation in Transcaucasia and the Middle East. Russia is true to its great historical liberation and creative mission, while the armies of Western countries and coalitions bring chaos, destruction, death and enslavement to the peoples of the world.
These terrorist organizations are prohibited on the territory of Russia.
Inal Pliev, expert on international policy at IA "Res"
