Taklama

The Russian newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets claims that after the August 2008 War, Russia was originally planning for Abkhazia and South Ossetia to form a confederation, and to recognise them as one state. The crux of the plan though was that the confederation would have been open for new members, specifically Georgia. However, despite Russia arguing that it would be easier to get other countries to recognise them together, both Abkhazia and South Ossetia refused. Apparently, the decision to instead recognise Abkhazia and South Ossetia separately was then only taken three days before 26 August.

What to make of this story - is it true? It is not the first time that a newspaper reports about some secret plan for Abkhazia or South Ossetia, and most of these have seemed rather doubtful. In June 2008 it was Kommersant which claimed that Georgia had proposed dividing up Abkhazia to Russia. Perhaps we will know when the politicians involved write their autobiographies.