Putin Says No Turning Back on Abkhazia, S.Ossetia

Russia will not reverse its policy towards Abkhazia and South Ossetia, said Vladimir Putin, who won Russia’s presidential election on March 4.

Asked after the early results of election was announced if there would be any change in Moscow’s policy towards Sokhumi and Tskhinvali after his return to the Kremlin, Putin responded, according to RIA Novosti: “It is ruled out. We will not return back.”

“Pressure from the international community would eventually yield result, regardless of whether Vladimir Putin wants it or not,” Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nino Kalandadze responded on March 5.

Reports say that Putin received over 90% of votes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Many residents of Georgia’s breakaway regions hold Russian passports and Moscow made them eligible to vote in Russia’s elections. Polling stations have also been opened for thousands of Russian troops deployed in the breakaway regions.

A local news agency in Tskhinvali reported that 15,839 voters turned out at polling stations on Sunday for Russia’s presidential election and 92.7% of them voted for Putin.

Abkhaz news agency, Apsnipress, reported that 74,135 voters cast their ballot in Russia’s presidential election in Abkhazia, 90.9% of which voted for Putin.

Abkhaz leader, Alexander Ankvab, was among them who voted for Putin, saying after casting his ballot that he did it “with pleasure”.

Georgia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Nino Kalandadze, said on Monday that Ankvab’s remarks confirmed once again that he “is not even a representative of a proxy regime, but directly represent the occupational regime.”