Georgian Association Issues a Statement Concerning Russia's Annexation of Crimea

Dear Friends,

The Georgian Association in the USA has issued a statement concerning Russia's Annexation of Crimea.

The transcript of the statement is reproduced below. Here is a link to the actual statement.

Sincerely,
Nino Aduashvili
Executive Director
Georgian Association in the USA, Inc.

Statement of the Georgian Association in the United States of America

The Georgian Association in the United States of America, the oldest organization representing the Georgian-American community, condemns Russia's annexation of Crimea in the strongest terms and fully supports the government of Ukraine in declaring the March 16th referendum on Crimea's independence illegal. The Association calls on the US Government to undertake all possible steps to protect the fundamental principles of international law, based on sovereignty and the territorial integrity of nation-states.

The Association calls on the Obama administration to ensure security guarantees for Georgia and to advocate forcefully for Georgia's accession into NATO. Granting Georgia the Membership Action Plan (MAP), which it has earned by meeting strict NATO requirements, is a more effective way to impose a real political cost on Moscow for its illegal and politically destabilizing activities, while demonstrating to Ukraine and other countries that the hard work of reform pays off.
Economic sanctions and a travel ban against individual members of the Russian political and military leadership alone are unlikely to convince Russia to withdraw its military from Crimea and to respect the territorial integrity of Ukraine for several reasons.

First, it is highly unlikely that sanctions alone will persuade President Putin to relinquish Crimea or to allow Ukraine out of Russia's political orbit. The Kremlin's desire to keep its immediate neighbors within its sphere of influence trump any economic interests that may be damaged by sanctions.

Second, based on their experience in 2008, President Putin and his circle are convinced that Russia can wait out sanctions. They expect Europe to cave in due to its dependence on Russian gas and the damaging economic losses that will result from tit-for-tat sanctions. Whether this belief is accurate is immaterial; what matters is that Putin and his inner circle perceive it to be true and will base their actions on this perception. Relying on economic sanctions will not yield their intended political effect, especially given the autocratic nature of the Russian government and its insensitivity to domestic pressures.

Offering NATO membership to Georgia is a proper strategic response. NATO membership, in concert with the EU's Eastern Partnership program, extends stability and prosperity to qualified countries, and serves the interests of the United States. The alternative is a Russian model of confrontation, dismemberment of neighboring states, instability and corrupt governance,

In order to extend NATO membership to Georgia, the US government should open immediate dialogue with its NATO partners, Germany and Turkey, as well as with the UK, which is the host nation of the next summit, to push Georgia's MAP forward at an accelerated pace.

Given Georgia's significant contributions to US-led military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, its strategic location and its success in becoming a stable and democratic state, the Association calls on the US government to immediately begin negotiations with its NATO allies to ensure the rapid promotion of Georgia's NATO membership.

Board of Directors of the Georgian Association in the USA