Medvedev Hints of New Georgia War

Georgia remained the sticking point for the Kremlin over the long Victory Day weekend, with President Dmitry Medvedev sternly warning about a possible repetition of last year's war. 

In his Victory Day address on Red Square on Saturday, Medvedev did not directly mention the five-day war with Georgia last August, but he clearly referred to it more than once. 

"Russia's defense is our holy duty. ... Any aggression against our citizens will be rightfully repelled," he said. 

Moscow has put the full blame for the war on Tbilisi, which had tried to retake the separatist region of South Ossetia, and Medvedev appeared to accuse Georgia of brinkmanship, saying: "Victory over fascism is a stark lesson to all peoples. It remains acute today, when again there are those who engage in military adventurism." 

He also seemed to praise those who participated in th Georgia war by noting that the soldiers taking part in the Victory Day parade included "those who have proven the high capability of Russia's current military."

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By Nikolaus von Twickel

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