Russia Not Feeling the Love
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Dave Schuler | Thursday, August 28, 2008 |
Russia hasn’t received the support it had hoped for from the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization:
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan – China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia’s hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for respect for every country’s territorial integrity.
A joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia’s “active role in promoting peace” following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow’s international isolation.
and the EU continues to be unamused by the situation in Georgia:
France, meanwhile, said the European Union was considering imposing sanctions against Russia.
“Sanctions are being considered … and many other means as well,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said at a news conference in Paris. He did not elaborate.
More than one of the members of the SCO has their own potentially separatist provinces so they tend to take the issue of support for separatist movements seriously. Also, some Central Asian countries have benefited from Western FDI and are cautious about taking steps that could chill the investment environment or make them potential targets for sanctions.
This would seem to answer the question that Nikolas Gvosdev expressed last week:
Russia did not seek the approval of any regional body–the CIS, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but it will be interesting to see whether the SCO summit this week produces any sort of retroactive endorsement.
The SCO has produced no retroactive endorsement and Russia has become further internationally isolated.
About the Author: Over the years Dave Schuler has worked as a martial arts instructor, a handyman, a musician, a cook, and a translator. He's owned his own company for the last thirty years and has a post-graduate degree in his field. He comes from a family of politicians, teachers, and vaudeville entertainers. All-in-all a pretty good preparation for blogging.
He has contributed to OTB since November 2006 but mostly writes at his own blog, The Glittering Eye.
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More than one of the members of the SCO has their own potentially separatist provinces so they tend to take the issue of support for separatist movements seriously.
I'm guessing that's why they didn't seek their support prior to taking action. Easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission, as they say.
But really, what made Russia think they'd even support the actions ex post facto? Did they overestimate their influence over their Asian neighbors that much?
