Putin on Developments in Georgia
NATO exercises in Georgia is “a clear signal of support to the current regime,” which is far from democratic standards and which suppresses protest rallies, Vladimir Putin, Russia’s Prime Minister, said in an interview with the Japanese media.
“Rallies are violently dispersed, opposition figures are wounded, shot at with rubber bullets, there is blood in the streets, there are more and more political prisoners, mutinies in the armed forces,” Putin said in the interview, transcript of which was posted on the Russian government’s website.
“Against this background it has been decided to hold military exercises. Of course it cannot be considered otherwise than the support towards the current regime. And what kind of regime is being supported? I think I have already described it. Why support such a regime?”
“I am not now referring to the bloody events in August last year, when the Georgian regime unleashed a war in Southern Caucasus. Even in terms of a traditional approach of our partners – the United Stats and Western Europe – to democracy, Georgia does not meet any standards today. Why then hold military exercises which send a clear signal of support to the current regime? We believe this is a step backwards. But we understand that it takes time for brakes to take effect. We very much hope that the current US leadership will "step on the brake hard" and slow down the negative trends in the development of links between our states, and will take the necessary steps to invest them with really new content,” Putin said.
His remarks followed after he was asked about NATO’s ongoing exercises in Georgia amid “resetting” U.S.-Russian relations.
“It is the US Administration that has proposed to "reset" them. We agree with that and, of course, we would like to give a new positive impetus to Russian-US relations,” Putin said. “Regarding the NATO military exercises in Georgia, that is a signal in a different direction.”
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