The four capitals issued a joint statement on the 18th anniversary of the Russia's 2008 war with Georgia
The United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy on Friday, reaffirmed their support for Georgia’s territorial integrity, warning that Russia’s latest moves in the occupied region of South Ossetia raise concerns about a potential formal annexation.
In a joint statement marking 18 years since Russia’s 2008 war with Georgia, the four countries condemned Moscow’s continued military presence in the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and accused the Kremlin of violating international law and the 12 August 2008 ceasefire agreement.
The statement comes amid renewed concerns over Russia’s deepening political and military integration of South Ossetia. The governments pointed to the recently signed “Agreement on Deepening Alliance and Cooperation” between Moscow and the region’s de facto authorities, saying it further undermines Georgia’s sovereignty.
The text also arrives shortly after the nomination of Marat Kambolov, a Russian federal administrator with personal links to Vladimir Putin, as the new ‘president’ of the breakaway region.
