Russia Draws the Lines

Cease-fire line, battle line or pipeline? With the Russian presence in Georgia’s breakaway regions, lines are blurred.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Republic of Georgia became mired in separatist violence in two major regions along its Russian border: South Ossetia and Abkhazia.


After a few years of Kashmir-style valley skirmishes and burning villages, Russia helped establish armistice treaties between Georgia and its restive components. Under the terms of the 1992 peace South Ossetian agreement and 1994 Abkhazian accord, Russian troops would keep the peace.

Too often, though, Russia has showed its hand to be more meddlesome than it should be.

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