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And it was not the first attempt. In 1991 President of Georgia Gamsakhurdia, using the slogan ‘Georgia
for Georgians’ (just think of these words), gave an order to launch an assault against Zkhinvali. Tens of people
died and hundreds of people became refugees, villages were destroyed. This was the result of that assault and it
was Russia which stopped the extinction of the people, of the thousands of Osetians. Russia became the
peacekeeper and the mediator in this conflict. We did all we could to use a peaceful means of settling this
conflict.

The Georgian leadership chose another way. Compromising the peaceful negotiations and previous
agreements, political provocations and military aggressions, attacking peacekeepers, all this was a gross
violation of the regime in the conflict zone, installed with the help of UN and OSCE. Russia kept a stance that
was reserved and we more than once asked our partners to return to the negotiation table and we stayed at this
position even after Kosovo was unilaterally declared an independent, but all our suggestions to the Georgia side
to sign peaceful agreements with South Osetia and Abkhazia were left unanswered. Unfortunately, they were
also ignored in NATO and the UN. And we can now see that peaceful resolution of this conflict was not
Tbilisi’s plans. Georgian leadership was getting ready for war, step by step, using material support from its
higher bidder.

th
And at the night of the 9 August, 2008, Tbilisi made its choice. Saakashvili chose genocide as a means
to solve his political tasks. By doing this he single-handedly destroyed all hopes for the peaceful living of
South Osetians, Abkhazians and Georgians as a part of one state. Peoples of South Osetia and Abkhazia have
more than once said at the referendums that they want their republics to be independent. We understand that after
what had happened in Zkhinvali and was planned to do in Abkhazia they have the right to resolve of their own
fates by themselves. The Presidents of the republics based on the results of referendums and the decisions of the
republic’s parliaments turned to Russia asking to recognize the sovereignty of South Osetia and Abkhazia.

The Federation Council and State Duma of the Russian Federation voted in favour of these
applications. Based on the current situation, it is necessary to make a decision. We respect the free will of South
Osetian and Abkhazian people and basing our actions on the regulations of the UN, principles of international
law and the agreement of 1950 regulating the relations between the countries, the Helsinki Act OSCE of 1975
and other international regulations and documents I have signed an order to recognize the independence of
south Osetia and the independence of Abkhazia by the Russian Federation. Russia is also calling other states to
follow the suit. This is not an easy choice but this is the only opportunity to protect the lives of people.

Виступ президента РФ Д. Мєдвєдєва

Шановні громадяни Росії, ви, безумовно, знаєте про трагедію Південної Осетії. Нічний розстріл
Цхінвала грузинськими військами привів до загибелі сотень наших громадян. Загинули російські
миротворці, що до кінця виконали свій обов'язок по захисту жінок, дітей і людей похилого віку.

Грузинське керівництво, порушуючи статут ООН, свої зобов'язання по міжнародних угодах,
всупереч здоровому глузду, розпочало збройний конфлікт, жертвами якого стали мирне населення. Ця ж
доля чекала Абхазію. Очевидно, в Тбілісі розраховували на бліцкриг, який поставив би світову
спільноту перед фактом, що стався. Був вибраний найбільш нелюдський спосіб добитися своєї мети –
приєднати Південну Осетію ціною знищення цілого народу.

Це була не перша спроба. У 1991 році президент Грузії Гамсахурдіа, із закликом «Грузія для
грузин» (тільки вдумайтеся в ці слова), наказав штурмувати Сухумі і Цхінвал. Тисячі загиблих, десятки
тисяч біженців, розорені села – ось до чого тоді це привело. Саме Росія в той момент зупинила

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