Russia/Georgia

War of words heats up

Article published on the 2008-09-03 Latest update 2008-09-03 09:52 TU

Dmitri Medvedev.
(Photo : AFP)

Russian President Dimitri Medvedev said that Russia no longer considers Mikheil Saakashvili Georgia’s leader, calling him a “political corpse” and accusing him of “aggression that ended many lives.” Georgia reposted by saying that Medvedev had “lost control” because “his efforts to depose the Georgian government have failed."

Medvedev also accused the US of helping Georgia “build its war machine” before its aggression in the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia last month, during an interview on Russian radio.

Medvedev’s provocative statements came just before US Vice-President Dick Cheney visits Georgia to express Washington’s support for the country in the fallout of its short war with Russia earlier this month.

Medvedev said it was willing to hold talks regarding a lasting solution in the Caucasus, but he added “we would like the international community to remember who began the aggression and who is responsible for people’s deaths”.

Georgian National Security Council Secretary, Alexander Lomaia, defended Saakashvili, saying, “The Georgian President is a democratically-elected leader, he and his government enjoy the support of the Georgian people and the international community.”

Russia claimed victory after EU leaders failed to impose threatened sanctions on Russia earlier this week. Medvedev then made it known that Russia would not let the crisis affect gas deliveries to Europe, which he guaranteed throughout the winter.

Medvedev said European consumer should have no fears of a "cold winter".

"No one wants to see that," he said.

Russia remains isolated as no other country has followed Russia’s recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which it proclaimed last week.