Poor Russia. They tried to bolster some support of their illegal invasion of Georgia by going to their Asian Alliance members which includes China and a few of the old Soviet satellite countries and the Alliance basically came back and said, "No Way Jose!" While the alliance didn't exactly condemn the invasion, they didn't do Russia's bidding by issuing their support of Russian actions and actually took a stronger stance against just that.
Here's some of the details from Breitbart:
As the article states, this had the potential of really becoming an East/West showdown and could have shaped those two forces against each other politically for some time, but the Chinese aren't exactly stupid and they weren't ready to put their asses on the line for a Russia who hasn't exactly been their biggest friend the past 10 years. At the same time, those central Asian "stans" have enjoyed the benefits of good diplomatic relations with Europe and the U.S. and to hop on a Russian bandwagon would have seriously hurt them.
The Russians now find themselves on an island in the international realm of opinion and no matter how much lipstick they put on that invasion of Georgia, it's still one ugly pig.
Here's some of the details from Breitbart:
China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia's hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for the respect of every country's territorial integrity.
A joint declaration from the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia's "active role in promoting peace" following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow's international isolation.
Russia's search for support in Asia had raised fears that the alliance would turn the furor over Georgia into a broader confrontation between East and West, pitting the U.S. and Europe against their two main Cold War foes.
As the article states, this had the potential of really becoming an East/West showdown and could have shaped those two forces against each other politically for some time, but the Chinese aren't exactly stupid and they weren't ready to put their asses on the line for a Russia who hasn't exactly been their biggest friend the past 10 years. At the same time, those central Asian "stans" have enjoyed the benefits of good diplomatic relations with Europe and the U.S. and to hop on a Russian bandwagon would have seriously hurt them.
The Russians now find themselves on an island in the international realm of opinion and no matter how much lipstick they put on that invasion of Georgia, it's still one ugly pig.
Asian alliance rebuffs Russian plea for support
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan (AP) - China and several Central Asian nations rebuffed Russia's hopes of international support for its actions in Georgia, issuing a statement Thursday denouncing the use of force and calling for the respect of every country's territorial integrity.
A joint declaration from the six-member Shanghai Cooperation Organization also offered some support for Russia's "active role in promoting peace" following a cease-fire, but overall it appeared to increase Moscow's international isolation.
Russia's search for support in Asia had raised fears that the alliance would turn the furor over Georgia into a broader confrontation between East and West, pitting the U.S. and Europe against their two main Cold War foes.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev had appealed to the Asian alliance, which is made up of China, Russia and four ex-Soviet Central Asian nations, for unanimous support of Moscow's response to Georgia's "aggression."
But the alliance, which was created in 2001 to improve regional coordination on terrorism and border security, opted to take a neutral position and urged all sides to resolve the conflict through "peaceful dialogue."
"The participants ... underscore the need for respect of the historical and cultural traditions of each country and each people, and for efforts aimed at preserving the unity of the state and its territorial integrity," the alliance's statement said.
None of the other alliance members joined Russia in recognizing the independence claims of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, in an interview with CNN, accused the U.S. of orchestrating the conflict in Georgia to provide a talking point in the American presidential campaign. The White House press secretary Dana Perino called the claims "patently false."
Russia's decision to recognize Georgia's separatist regions Tuesday sparked another storm of criticism from the West because both provinces make up roughly 20 percent of Georgia's territory. The West had already criticized Russia for what it calls a disproportionate use of force in fighting this month with Georgia, its small southern neighbor that wants to join NATO.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Robert Wood expressed satisfaction about the Asian group's statement, saying "it wasn't what I would call an endorsement of Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia."
China has traditionally been wary of endorsing separatists abroad, mindful of its own problems with Tibet and Muslims in the western territory of Xinjiang. The joint statement, which was unanimously endorsed, made a point of stressing the sanctity of borders—two days after Russia sought to redraw Georgia's territory.
The Asian alliance's statement offered some praise of Moscow's actions, at least in the context of the peace deal signed five days after the war began Aug. 7. The alliance said it supports "the active role of Russia in promoting peace and cooperation in the given region."
The four Central Asian members of the group—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan—all seemed reluctant to damage their relations with Europe and the U.S.
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