Polish and US officials rebuke 'mistaken' Georgia and 'illegal' Russia

BRUSSELS - Russia breached international law when attacking Georgia, therefore it must face consequences, not sanctions, said Eckart von Klaeden, foreign policy spokesperson for the German conservatives at a debate ahead of the EU summit on Georgia.

A common European position could only be based on the "founding principle of the EU – the rule of law", argued Mr von Klaeden.

"In Germany in the last few years, we used double standards about Russia, because we judged it too mildly. We have to adjust our policies", he said during a debate in Brussels between the Russian ambassador to the EU and Georgia's minister for reintegration organised by the German Marshall Fund.

One of the possible consequences could concern the visa liberalisation regime for Russia, but the Polish foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, rejected that idea.

Another consequence, in Mr Von Klaeden's view, could be directed at foreign investments in Russia, as "the credibility of Russian authorities obeying the law and following the treaties is questionable now and we cannot protect our businesses."

Georgia's attack, 'deeply unwise'

Contrary to Russia's claims, the US did not give Georgia the green light to use military force, said a US diplomat present at the debate.

"The decision to attack Tskhinvali was deeply unwise. We urged Georgian not to do it, but it is a sovereign country with a democratically elected government, whose officials have to make their own decisions in a way that they believe is protecting their national interest", said Matthew Bryza, the American deputy assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs.

The Polish foreign minister also criticised Georgia's decision. "I agree with Matt that the Georgian authorities allowed themselves to be provoked. I personally told Georgian officials: 'You are being provoked. Be careful, because if you do allow yourselves to be provoked, you'll not find much real support".

Mr von Klaeden reinforced his position, saying: "Every participant has its responsibility for the outbreak and the escalation of this conflict."

On the Georgian side, however, the decision is still seen as a conscious choice, not a trap set out by Moscow.

"We made a choice, to resist the Russian aggression. Not as in 1921 when we didn't," said Temur Yakobashvili, the Georgian minister for reintegration, referring to Bolshevik-Menshevik battles in Georgia during the Russian Civil War.

Second Cold War

The Russian ambassador to the EU, Vladimir Chizhov rejected any comparisons with the Cold War.

"The debate over a Second Cold War is misplaced," he said. "With the original Cold War, there was a clash of ideologies more than anything else."

"The ideologies are no longer there."

Mr Sikorski however felt the Second Cold War analogy was more apt than the Russian ambassador: "The holidays from history have ended," he declared.

"I wondering if we don't actually have a clash of ideologies," he said. "The EU is in the business of opening borders ... whereas Russia has a more traditional idea of borders." He added that Europe's "respect for the rule of law" and the way it protects its citizens also suggested philosophical differences. "

"We all protect our citizens abroad, but we do it by consular means, not force," he said.

Mr Bryza accused Moscow of exaggerating the number of deaths resulting from the initial Georgian attack. There were not 2000 victims in South Ossetia, but between 80-140, he said, roughly quoting figures that have been suggested by Human Rights Watch. The US official also called for international investigations into human rights violations of all belligerents.