Russia and Disapproval

By William D. Zeranski

After having gone to war with Georgia, then occupying the little country and then doing its level best to dismember it by recognizing the breakaway provinces as independent states, Russia finally stumbled into disapproval that mattered:

Criticized by the West, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Thursday asked China and four ex-Soviet nations to sign a declaration of support for Russia's role in the conflict in Georgia.

But Russia's hopes of gathering support were dealt a huge blow when the five countries denounced the use of force and called for respect for every country's territorial integrity. The joint declaration from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization deepens Russia's international isolation.

Medvedev had appealed to the alliance - which consists of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan - for unanimous support of Russia's response to Georgia's "aggression."

After a fashion, Russia has created a situation with South Ossetia and Abhkazia, which China probably does want any part of because "China has traditionally been wary of supporting separatist movements, mindful of its own problems with Tibet and Muslims in the western territory of Xinjiang." Also, Russia's concern about former-Soviet republics joining NATO isn't China's problem either. The Chinese Foreign Ministry was quoted by the "state news agency Xinhua as saying "the situation in the region ... should be resolved in dialogue."

The possibility of more dialogue solving anything is slim to none, but, at least, there is not tacit approval.