What feelings does Vladimir Putin experience recalling the events of August 2008? Could there be a repeat of those events? The Russian Prime Minister has been sharing his thoughts about it with journalists:
"When we recall tragedies we think first of all about victims. We think about why it has happened. And of course we analyze these events and draw conclusions.
I think that the main thing in preventing such tragedies is for the people who make decisions to heed the opinion of their peoples, the opinion of the inhabitants of this or that territory. Without their will, the will of the people, and without taking into account their will no single issue related to the government system can be solved. "The current Georgian leaders seem to have forgotten it...
"We have had many discussions with the current Georgian leadership. I personally urged them to be patient and to work to earn respect, gain authority and trust of the people in Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This is the only way - I think so now and I said so then - to achieve territorial integrity.
"What was the response? ‘Yes, yes, we understand, we will do it.'
"And what did they do in practice? They did the reverse: military pressure, stripping [the republics] of their autonomy and eventually aggression. This was a crime that entailed numerous casualties among civilians and among militiamen. Russia of course had no right to and could not leave South Ossetia and Abkhazia alone and took the only correct decision: to protect the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and recognize their independence."
When asked whether the events of last August could be repeated, Vladimir Putin replied that "nothing could be ruled out with the current Georgian leadership. But it would be more difficult for them to do it now. If they are capable of learning any lessons, the events of August last year should have brought it home to them that talking from a position of strength is futile.
"Besides, the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation envisages military assistance. Russia will keep its forces in Abkhazia. We will exert the necessary efforts in order to build a modern border protection system together with the Abkhaz agencies concerned. All this provides serious additional security guarantees for Abkhazia and South Ossetia."