US Congress condemns Russia’s “aggression” against Georgia
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The United States (US) House of Representatives has unanimously approved a document which strongly condemns Moscow's actions against its neighbours Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova.
The resolution, which passed with 411 votes to 10 yesterday, slammed Russia’s actions in what has been described as Russia’s "continuing political, economic, and military aggression” against Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova and the "continuing violation of their sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity”.
It called for Russia to stop supporting local separatists in eastern Ukraine and for the cancellation of Crimea’s decision to join Russia. In addition, it called on Moscow to withdraw its troops from foreign territories, which the US claimed were in Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
The resolution stated the Russian Federation invaded Georgia in August 2008, continued to station military forces in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and was implementing measures intended to progressively integrate these regions into the Russian Federation.
"The Russian Federation continues to subject the Republic of Georgia to political and military intimidation, economic coercion, and other forms of aggression in an effort to establish its control of the country and to prevent Georgia from establishing closer relations with the European Union and the United States,” it read.
In addition, Thursday’s resolution urged NATO members and US allies to suspend military cooperation with Russia, and further called on US President Barack Obama to provide Ukraine with defensive equipment and training.
When addressing the US president, the House of Congress urged him to review the readiness of US and NATO armed forces under the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe Treaty (CFE).
The lawmakers agreed that the president and the US State Department should also find ways to "distribute news and information” in Russian to countries with Russian-speaking populations, as this was currently not happening.
The Congress of the Council of Europe has condemned the so-called ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ treaty between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.
A Kremlin proposed new treaty on ‘Alliance and Integration’ with Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia and Russia will be signed by the end of this year, Abkhazia’s de-facto leader Raul Khajimba announced.
The Government of Japan has slated the new alliance between Russia and Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region.
The condemned Russia-Abkhazia deal will take the limelight at the upcoming OSCE Ministerial Council and the Geneva International Discussions, Georgia’s Foreign Ministry said.
A Russian alliance treaty between Moscow and Georgia’s breakaway region Abkhazia is an obstacle to peacefully resolving the conflict, says German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman.
The United States (US) says it will not recognise the legitimacy of any treaty between Georgia’s breakaway Abkhazia region and the Russian Federation.
NATO is calling on Russia to reverse its recognition of two Georgian lands - Abkhazia and Tskhinvali region - as independent states and to withdraw its forces from Georgia.
Russia’s signature of a so-called treaty on ‘Alliance and Strategic Partnership’ with Georgia's breakaway region Abkhazia is detrimental to ongoing efforts to stabilise the security situation in the region, the European Union (EU) says.