Shevardnadze Condemns Russia’s Threats on Pre-Emptive Strikes

President Shevardnadze condemned the recent statements of Russian President Putin and Defense Minister Ivanov regarding the possible pre-emptive strikes against the neighboring countries, in case of threat to Russia’s national security. 

President Shevardnadze drew parallels between the Kremlin’s strategy of pre-emptive strikes and Adolf Hitler.

“Neither Russia, nor any other state throughout the world, has the right to carry out a pre-emptive strikes,” Shevardnadze said on October 10 at the presentation of the election platform of the election bloc For New Georgia.

“Incidentally, I can recall some of Hitler’s utterances. He never said — we should conquer the whole of Europe. He said – let us help Austria, let us help Czechoslovakia, let us help Poland and so on,” he added.

Last year President Putin threatened with pre-emptive strikes against Chechen militants harboring in Georgia’s Pankisi gorge. However Georgian authorities claim there are no militants in the gorge as a result of the anti-criminal operation, carried out by the Georgian troops last year.

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