The Russo-Georgian War and Its Aftermath: Geopolitical Implications for the Wider Region

The Western powers' (and especially the US ) attempts to establish themselves in the oil rich Central Asia, to promote pro-western coloured revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine and to support their ambitions to join NATO have long been a concern to Russian policy-makers. Concerned with the “western encirclement” of its borders, Kremlin has numerously warned that it would not tolerate any attempts intended to diminish its influence in the post-Soviet world. The five-day Russo-Georgian war should be regarded as a culmination of this geopolitical rivalry, the aftermath of which still resonates relations between Russia and the West. The seminar examines the background of the Russo-Georgian conflict, costs and outcomes of the war, and the possible future scenarios.