Status Updates From The Guns of August 2008 (St...

Despite massive Russian troop and equipment superiority, Russia almost loses 'conflict'; Russian military in 2008 poorly organized, trained, and led; Georgia as a dress rehearsal for Crimea and Ukraine; mendacity of Russian leadership

EU soft power is wishful thinking and is unable to counter Russian hard power; the US is slipping into the trap of relying too much on soft power or on simply allowing conflicts to manage themselves; simple show of American resolve through symbolic force is enough to dissuade Russia. Why the lack of will on America's part? War fatigue, maybe. Cynicism.

'Russian Peacekeppers' tends to be an oxymoron, as peacekeeping missions are viewed as legitimate means to exert pressure upon or undermine govts deemed hostile to Moscow's interests; Russian peacekeeping missions act as Trojan horses by introducing Russian soldiers into contested territories under the guise of peacekeepers; Russia utilized this in Georgia and we've seen this even more in Crimea and Ukraine.

Russo-Georgian 2008 Five-Day War really a dress rehearsal for Ukraine; Russian agitation and support for South Ossetia and Abkhazia proceeded by Crimean takeover; Maybe Hungary learns to issue passports in Romania from Russia issuing passports in Georgia; Lying is a legitimate foreign policy tool, as is feigned outrage and disproportionate response to being called out; Russian leaders have thin skin