Russia Turns Its Attention to Abkhazia and Georgia

Russia is facing two delicate situations in Georgia: a political crisis in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia and the Georgian national government's plans to integrate with the West. At a time when the United States and the European Union are seriously challenging Moscow in its former Soviet periphery, particularly in the Black Sea region, passivity in Russia's near abroad is too risky for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Georgia is likely to be a primary arena for Moscow to push back against the West.