Kosovo precedent strikes hard as 2,000 people are killed in South Ossetian conflict
At least 2,000 people were killed in only three days of fighting in South Ossetia, a conflict which is a direct result of the Kosovo precedent set earlier this year with the recognition of the unilateral declaration of its secession.
(KosovoCompromise Staff) Monday, August 11, 2008
The precedent has become evident also to those politicians and countries which have to date tried to describe Kosovo as a "unique case".
This includes, Poland, one of the stiffest critics of Moscow and backer of Tbilissi.
"This is the Russian answer to the recognition of Kosovo. That recognition was in fact a gift to Russia," Polish People's Party European MP Janusz Wojciechowski said.
Wojciechowski, whose party is a partner in Donald Tusk's cabinet, warned that the case of Kosovo, where a part of the international community accepted the declaration of secession, "shows that it cannot be counted on double standards to pass".
"Russia is using it now", he concluded.
Bearing in mind the risks for Poland's allies in the Caucasus, Georgia above all, Warsaw's recognition of the Kosovo Albanians' secession was described as an irresponsible move by the legendary anti-communist leader and former Polish president, Lech Walesa, who said it is "bringing nothing but trouble".
Kosovo's relation to South Ossetia is also cited in Moscow.
"The things that were happening in Kosovo, the things that were happening in Iraq - we are now following the same path. The further the situation unfolds, the more the world will understand that Georgia would never be able to do all this without America", said the chairman of the State Duma Committee for Security, Vladimir Vasilyev.
In Brussels, Russia's ambassador to NATO Dmitry Rogozin said a statement by the Alliance on excessive use of force in South Ossetia is forcing Moscow to remember the NATO operation against Serbia.
"Russia does not intend to listen to such evaluations by this military bloc, because it will have to remind them of the proportional force used against the people and armed forces of Serbia, when NATO tried to bring to the country the ‘treasures of democracy' by bombing Belgrade, destroying towns, bridges and infratsructure in Serbia", Rogozin said in a statement.
