Vladimir Putin’s recognition of Ukraine’s breakaway regions isn’t the first time: All you need to know about Abkhazia and South Ossetia

File image of South Ossetian women gathering in the North Ossetia village Kombileyevskoye, 15 km outside of Vladikavkaz. The women have come from the South Ossetian territory, within the borders of Georgia, to North Ossetia which is in the borders of Russia. AFP

The Ukraine and Russia conflict came to a head on Monday night when Vladimir Putin formally recognised two eastern Ukrainian regions — Donetsk and Luhansk — held by pro-Russian separatist groups as independent states.

Both the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic declared their independence on 12 May 2014 after Putin annexed the Crimean Peninsula.

Also read: Ukraine-Russia crisis: Understanding Minsk agreement and why it failed to resolve conflict

However, this isn’t the first time that Moscow has recognised breakaway states.

In the past, it recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, two Georgian breakaway regions.

Here’s what happened then.

Profiles of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Before we get into the politics of the two regions and how Russia is involved in them, let’s look at where they are geographically located and a basic profile of the two disputed territories.

Bordering the eastern shores of the Black Sea, Abkhazia consists of a narrow coastal lowland broken by mountain spurs, followed by a hilly foreland zone of eroded marine and river terraces that merge into the steep slopes of the Caucasus Mountains located to the north.

Abkhazia was once known as a prime holiday destination for the Soviet elite.

South Ossetia is separated from Russia’s North Ossetia region by a border running high in the Caucasus Mountains. Much of the region lies more than 1,000 metres above sea level.

South Ossetia is inhabited mostly by Ossetians, who speak a language distantly related to Persian.

Breakaway from Georgia

When Georgia became independent from the Soviet Union, sentiments of separatism grew in the regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

While the Abkhaz, driven by deep-rooted fears that their language, culture and national identity were under threat, sought greater self-determination and autonomy from Georgia, a separatist movement emerged in South Ossetia that sought secession from Georgia and unification with North Ossetia–Alania.

In 1991-92, South Ossetia declared independence from Georgia during the South Ossetia War on 29 May 1992, with its Constitution referring to the “Republic of South Ossetia”. Abkhazia declared its independence after its war with Georgia in 1992–1993. Its Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1994.

However, in 2008, a conflict broke out between Russia and Georgia over the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. In just five days, the Georgian army was routed by Russian forces, with around 1,000 mostly civilian casualties and as many as 190,000 people displaced.

It was an ugly conflict, with both sides accused of using so-called cluster munitions. It is regarded as the first European war of the 21st century. This was also the first war in history in which cyber warfare coincided with military action.

Russian forces temporarily occupied the Georgian cities of Zugdidi, Senaki, Poti and Gori, holding on to these areas. The South Ossetians destroyed most ethnic Georgian villages in South Ossetia and were responsible for the ethnic cleansing of Georgians. Russia recognised the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia from Georgia on 26 August 2008 and the Georgian government severed diplomatic relations with Russia.

Following this violence, Moscow recognised the two countries as full-fledged states and immediately established diplomatic relations with them. Other Moscow-allied countries, such as Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Syria, followed suit later. The Syrians did so following Russian support for Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad during the civil war in the Middle Eastern country.

Present state of Abkhazia and South Ossetia

Today, the two territories have been separate from Georgia for nearly 30 years.

Ioseb Dzamukashvili, a Georgian researcher and political analyst, was quoted as telling Emerging Europe, “Abkhazia and South Ossetia can hardly exist on their own without Russian aid… [but even] considering that, I don’t see reunification happening at least in the next fifteen or twenty years.”

Dzamukashvili points out that both territories are heavily propped up by the Russian government.

Abkhazia is heavily dependent on Moscow: 90 per cent of its exports and 99 per cent of its foreign investment come from Russia.

The level of dependency is even higher in South Ossetia, which has a population of just over 50,000.

Georgia’s attempts of reintegration

The Georgian government’s options to reintegrate the territories are increasingly limited. As the 2008 war in South Ossetia demonstrated, a military solution is currently out of the question, particularly with the powerful Russian military backing the breakaway republics.

Georgia has lately been pursuing a “soft power” policy, attempting to woo Abkhazians and South Ossetians with better economic prospects and social services.

A major part of this shift in policy is Georgian state hospitals offering medical services to Abkhazians and South Ossetians, free of charge.

In reality, however, Georgia lacks the economic and political clout to support and invest in the territories. Moreover, while Georgia has been extending a hand, the regions seem disinterested in the offer.

Also, the issue of ethnic cleansing has hampered reconciliation and reunification. Atrocities committed by all sides still remain fresh in people’s memories, nearly 30 years on. Furthermore, at this point, an entire generation has been raised with the territories separated, further driving polarisation.

With inputs from agencies

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