Georgia: Tbilisi's Dilemma

The Russian Foreign Ministry on July 7 objected to the United States' classification of the Russian military presence in the Georgian breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as an "occupation." The term was used June 24 in a White House publication, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used the term July 5 during a visit to Tbilisi. The word choice is meant to give Georgia some sense of reassurance as the United States and Russia have a temporary detente, but this verbal reassurance is all the United States is willing to offer Georgia at the moment.