Georgia to blame for war with Russians, says EU report
The brief but bloody war between Georgia and Russia was started by an "unjustifiable" Georgian attack, an EU report found today.
It said the raids on the breakaway South Ossetia region "marked the beginning" of last year's war with Russia.
The five-day war in August 2008 followed "long periods of increasing tensions, provocations and incidents" between the two countries.
The report released today sought to clarify what caused the war. Georgia said it launched its offensive to repel Russian forces invading the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, while Russia insisted it sent in troops only after the Georgian barrage.
The EU report says Georgia's opening attack on South Ossetia was not justifiable under international law.
The report was commissioned by the Council of the European Union, and written by Swiss diplomat Heidi Tagliavini.
