BBC News and Russia.

[Cybermat47]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

1)
Georgia has commited an act of agression (attack on the peacekeeprs) before Russian response.

2)
South Osetia was not annexed at any point, it's status was disputed before Georgians tried to settle it by force and made the mistake of commiting an act of agression against Russia.

3)
There are no plans to regain Soviet Union. There is a desire for greater economical and political integration with neighbouring countries.

1) Don't worry, I'm well aware that Georgia performed agressive and illegal acts, and there were reports of ethnic cleansing too. I'd be glad to see South Ossetia leave Georgian control.

2) It seems that you're right, it looks like my sources for the annexation were inaccurate. Sorry about that.

3) I do find it suspicous that Putin has ordered armed incursions into two former Soviet countries, though having given some more thought to the matter, it could well just be a matter of these countries being in the wrong - I've stated my opinions on Georgia's actions above, and the Ukraine was hardly stable before the Russian incursion. However, some believe that this instability was a result of Russian inteference.

But after the Cold War, who knows who's telling the truth? I don't know about Russia, but in the West, Russia is all too often treated as the boogeyman - 'reds under the bed' and all that nonsense

BTW, I hope I'm not coming across as a Russophobe - regardless of the politics, I think that the Russian military is one of the best trained, best equipped (I especially like the Lira and Su-27), and, if Stalingrad is any indication, some of the bravest.