What Are the Conclusions of the Six-Day War in the Caucasus?
Russia is ready to use not only political pressure but also military means to protect what it calls an integral part of its sphere of protection: the Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus, and Central Asia. Any further interference in this region will mean the restart of the cold war—an eventuality that I hope no one wants. Also, Russia has adopted a new diplomatic doctrine that must be seriously taken in account: the right for intervention in any former Soviet area if it is required to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens (as announced by President Dmitry Medvedev). This concept will further be used to pressure Ukraine. The diplomatic pressure being applied by the United States is clearly directed at dissuading Russia from any further intervention in Ukraine and any further use of this Russian citizen protection doctrine. The effect of this pressure on Russia remains to be seen. The Georgian crisis has dramatically changed the map of Eastern Europe and caused Russian-American relati
