Russian MFA: Clinton’s Remarks ‘Fuel Revanchist Aspirations in Tbilisi’

Hours after U.S. Secretary of Clinton left Georgia on June 6, the Russian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that some of her remarks, including about “occupation” of Georgia’s territories by Russia, was fueling “revanchist aspirations of Tbilisi”.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that remarks by Secretary Clinton showed that Washington had "failed to learn lessons from the August, 2008 events in the Caucasus."

“It was the active encouragement from the U.S. and other Western states, commitments about accepting Georgia into NATO and massive supply of armament from abroad that formed sense of all-permissiveness and impunity for M. Saakashvili, which pushed him to commit criminal adventure in South Ossetia,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said and added: “At the time we had to bring the aggressor to his senses.”

“There is a sense of deja vu today,” it continued. “High-ranking U.S. officials are again making loud statements about supporting M. Saakashvili, repeating verbatim false theses of his propaganda about ‘Russian occupation of Georgia’.”

It also said that while “fueling revanchist aspirations of Tbilisi, Washington does not fully realize the extent of its responsibility.”

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who reiterated the U.S. support to Georgia’s NATO integration, said during her visit to Batumi on June 5: “We reject Russia’s occupation and militarization of Georgia’s territories and call on Russia to fulfill its obligations under the 2008 cease-fire agreement, including withdrawal of its forces to pre-conflict positions and free access for humanitarian assistance.”