South Ossetia Today

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Other

Carnegie Europe

South Ossetia Today

South Ossetia has all but disappeared from international view since the Georgia-Russia conflict of 2008 and is now being used by Moscow to pressure Tbilisi and channel funds to the breakaway Donbas regions.

By Thomas de Waal

Published on Jun 11, 2019

Source: CENTRE FOR EUROPEAN POLICY STUDIES

The modern history of South Ossetia is a tragic one in which a generally peaceful region was first dragged into an unnecessary war with Georgia in the 1990s, then became the centre of the Georgian-Russian conflict of 2008. Since then it has been granted what has been described as “unwanted independence,” which in practice means isolation, economic depression and de facto Russian military annexation. On a personal level, this isolation hurts Ossetians as much or even more than Georgians. Many mixed Georgian-Ossetian families have been divided. The South Ossetian economy has withered, deprived of its traditional economic links with neighbouring Georgian towns.

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About the Author

Thomas de Waal

Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe

De Waal is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus.

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Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.

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