Well aware of Russia’s emergence as a growing energy super-power, of the relative weakening of US clout and determination, of Europe’s deep divisions between pro-Russians, such as Germany and even more so Italy, and anti-Russians (mostly from the EU’s newest members in eastern Europe), and of the United Nations’ paralysis owing to Russia’s veto power, the Kremlin is sending a strong message to the world: “the time for concessions is over.” For the Kremlin, it is likely that South Ossetia and Abkhazia would remain under formal Georgian sovereignty only if the country did not join NATO.
克里姆林宫完全清楚，俄国正在作为能源超级大国崛起，美国的影响力和决心相对削弱，欧洲如德国和更胜一筹的意大利等亲俄国家和反俄国家(主要是来自东欧的欧盟新成员国)分歧严重以及联合国由于俄国的否决权而寸步难行。因此它向世界发出强烈信号，也就是“退让的时代结束了”。对于克里姆林宫而言，只有格鲁吉亚不加入北约，南奥塞梯和阿布哈兹才有可能留在格鲁吉亚。