Alone on the ice

The world is in no hurry to join Russia, which has recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

However, what do these few days mean for the two republics - compared to many years when the unrecognized ones were recognized only by each other? They themselves have other problems - to live and survive further.

But for Russia such a “flow of recognition” is vital.

Otherwise there will be an awkward pause.

Even more awkward, because an indecent sound had already been heard in the silence - XFVFC joined us. Nice campaign...

There is clearly no hope for the West, with its words about “the non-use of force, the rule of law and human rights.”

But it’s not in vain that Russia has been building a center of alternative international law for many years—the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

The SCO is based on completely different values ​​than the UN, OSCE, and Council of Europe. For the latter, respect for human rights and democratic procedures is by no means an internal matter of states. But the “Shanghai people” claim something else—the primacy of state sovereignty. And no “human rights” can become a reason for them to interfere in internal affairs.

In fact, it is completely incomprehensible: how can one be a member of the Council of Europe and the SCO at the same time? But this is a separate question...

So, the summit of the Shanghai Organization ended in Dushanbe. Dmitry Medvedev, at first glance, was satisfied with its results: “During our conversations, we came to the conclusion that events of this kind, of course, do not strengthen the world order and the party that unleashed the aggression must be responsible for its consequences,” he said, having meaning, of course, Georgia.

It's hard to disagree with these words.

At first glance, the adopted SCO declaration supported Russia's actions in South Ossetia: the participating countries "express deep concern over the recent tensions surrounding the South Ossetian issue" and "support Russia's active role in promoting peace and cooperation in the region."

But then, what next?

The member countries of the organization called on the “relevant parties” for dialogue to resolve the conflict: “Relying solely on a forceful solution impedes the comprehensive resolution of local conflicts; a comprehensive resolution of existing problems is possible only with full consideration of the interests of all parties and their involvement in the negotiation process, and not isolation.” .

The summit welcomed the six principles for resolving the conflict in South Ossetia, the “Medvedev-Sarkozy plan,” signed on August 12, 2008 in Moscow.

And now, my soul, about the main thing...

The leaders of the SCO member countries confirmed their commitment to the principle of respect for the territorial integrity of states and efforts “aimed at preserving the unity of the state and its territorial integrity.”

So tell me, what does it look like? After all, it is obvious that Russia turned to the Shanghai organization for support for ALL of its recent actions in the Caucasus, including support for the recognition of previously unrecognized republics.

What exactly were they expecting from the SCO?

This entire organization is “tailored” to the unconditional superiority of the rights of the state not only over the rights of individual citizens, but also over any of its parts. Russia, which was trying to conquer the rebellious Chechnya, teamed up with, among others, China, which had slightly larger problems - Taiwan, Tibet and Xinjiang.

For China, the fight against separatists is not a short-term interest, but a long-term one.

The struggle is at all levels, including, of course, the international level.

China is consistent in its denial of separatism.

The great power Russia behaves a little differently.

Until 1994, she supported the “unrecognized”. She supported to varying degrees - even to the point of sending and training Shamil Basayev and his comrades in Abkhazia.

Then they began to fight their own separatists (including Basayev). And - click! — temporarily moderated support for foreign separatists.

It was precisely at this time that the Shanghai Organization took shape.

Around that time, Russia opposed international intervention in Kosovo.

Finally, it seems like their separatists won...

And then again - click! - they loved foreign “unrecognized states” with redoubled force.

I'm not talking about "double standards" here - this, again, is a separate topic.

There are simply states that are more constant in their opinions and preferences.

Therefore, it was impossible in one’s right mind to expect support for the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from the SCO summit. In my humble opinion, such approval could only be assumed out of despair...

However, approval - quite predictable - for Ossetian and Abkhazian independence came not from Dushanbe, but from Grozny. From Ramzan Kadyrov. After all, the arguments expressed on August 26 in favor of the recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev (and even more so the arguments of the speaker of the upper house Sergei Mironov!) can also be fully applied to Chechnya...

However, Russia will deal with the latter problem on its own. Having convinced itself that everyone around them lives not according to the law, but “according to concepts,” Russia imagined itself (if we continue to adhere to the corresponding specific terminology) “with a crowbar belted around it” and found itself in the position of “alone on an ice floe.”