We don't need another Ukraine

How hot will the Cold War get, and will Georgia be part of that friction?

Scene from the movie ‘Crossing’

We don't need another Ukraine, so Georgia's October 26 election is important.

Caught between Russia and the USA, Georgia's doing a better job than Armenia in that volatile region, but it's impossible not to spill blood from the holy grail.

Did 'villainous' Russia attack Georgia in 2008, a narrative mostly accepted in the West, or did Russia respond to Ossetians being attacked by Georgia?

That's always been relevant to locals divided by the issue, with breakways Abkhazia and South Ossetia still politically contentious.

It's again an international issue with Bidzina Ivanishvili, the head of the ruling Georgian Dream party, recommending that his country should apologise to Ossetians for the war with Russia.

Before I quote him, watch how a Fox presenter callously shuts down survivors contradicting the US's propaganda. *

This is what Bidzina Ivanishvili said:

"Today, we are well aware that the August War of 2008 was not the wish of either the Georgian or the Ossetian people. So, when we unmask those who have ordered the bloody conflict between the brothers, and bring to legal account those who have committed this gravest crime, a necessity of restoring relations would necessarily emerge on the agenda. I promise you that the Georgian Nuremberg Process will be held very soon, and will become one of the preconditions of reconciliation.

Being able to look reality, however harsh it might have been, in the eye was always one of Georgians’ strong points. Against the background of twelve years of uninterrupted peace, I believe, even more strongly, that admitting our own mistakes and remembering the centuries-old brotherhood and friendship between Georgians and Ossetians will become the opening steps of the road that would give people living on both sides of the dividing line a determination to restore trust.

Immediately after the October 26 elections, when those who instigated the war would face justice when all those guilty of destroying the Georgian-Ossetian brotherhood and coexistence will receive their due, harshest legal verdict, we will find it in ourselves to apologize that acting upon orders, the treasonous National Movement put our Ossetian sisters and brothers up in flames. And since forgiveness is one of the keystones of our shared Georgian and Ossetian Christian faith, I am confident that the fratricidal confrontation instigated by Georgia’s enemies will end with mutual forgiveness and sincere reconciliation."

NEWS

• Georgia on track for peace in the Caucasus – but there is still a lot to be done

• U.S. warns Georgian authorities not to go down this path

• Sopo Japaridze and guests discuss Ivanishvili's statement and other election issues

• Can the US be accused of 'meddling' in Georgia's election?

WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN SOUTH OSSETIA?

FEATURE MOVIE

Director Levan Akin is a Swede born from Georgian immigrants. His sophomore, 'And Then We Danced', caused an anti-gay ruckus in conservative Georgia, and led to large protests.

Hating gay people is despicable, but it's also possible that the movie was used by EU and American-sponsored NGOs as a weapon to divide that country in order to stir up shit on Russia's border.

Summarily, the European hype for 'And Then We Danced' were questionable considering its strong competition that year (e.g., 'Homeward'), but it was decent, and I'm glad I watched.

More importantly, it allowed Akin to evolve into his latest, the excellent 'Crossing'.

It's about a stern, retired school teacher from Batumi, Georgia's biggest coastal city, who teams up with an uncouth youth for a trip to Istanbul to find her niece whose mother, her sister, has died. The niece had been rejected by the family for being trans.

It's like a roadtrip movie in that the unlikely team learn about life, each other and themselves. It's meaningful and fun, and I appreciate culture shock. It's possible that 'Crossing' makes my Top 10 drama list for 2024. Catch it on Mobi and Prime.

* In case it becomes another victim of vanishing, I ripped that Ossetian interview from here.