It is largely about oil pipelines

The Russian assault has very little to do with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s ill-advised decision to send troops into that troubled region, and owes much more to Moscow’s determination to control energy supplies in the Caucasus and strengthen its position as a near-monopoly supplier to Europe.

Georgia is a crucial transit point for oil and gas. Three major pipelines connecting energy sources in the Caucasus and Central Asia to European markets pass through its territory. One of these, the South Caucasus pipeline, is an important part of the plan for the Nabucco pipeline to Austria, which would deliver natural gas directly to the European Union, bypassing Russia entirely, if built.


…The outsized Russian response to Mr. Saakashvili’s provocation, which is beginning to look like a full-scale invasion, must be understood in this context.

To suggest that Russia would ignite a regional war for the sake of controlling energy supplies might seem fanciful, were it not for the extraordinary connections between the Kremlin and the energy industry, and the centrality of its operations to Russian policy.

Mr. Medvedev was the chairman of Gazprom’s board until late 2007. The current chair is also Russia’s deputy prime minister.

Globe and Mail