What's at Stake in Georgia?

Mikheil Saakashvilli, the President of the Republic of Georgia, has written an editorial published in the Wall Street Journal saying that the Russian invasion of Georgia threatens to undermine the international security system. He claims Russia is waging war on Georgia in order to stop Georgian independence and prevent increased ties between Georgia and Western Europe. According to President Saakashvilli, there are several things at stake in this war, including the freedom of his country to more closely align itself with Western Europe and with NATO. President Saaksasvilli also asks whether a Russia that will invade its neighbors and who seeks to restore a "neocolonial" form of government over territories once under its control can really be a partner for Europe. It seems to me that the Georgian President has a good point when he says that if Georgia falls to Russia: "Leaders in neighboring states -- whether in Ukraine, in other Caucasian states or in Central Asia -- will have to consider whether the price of freedom and independence is indeed too high."