Recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia aimed at retaining citizens’ trust

Author: Inga Friedelhaus Section: Major Events of the Month

Issue: November 2008, Vol.3, No. 10

Tags: Russia Today TV ChannelSimonyan

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Reputation Issue

Speaking at the annual U.S.-Russian Business Council last month in Washington, Margarita Simonyan, the editor of the Russian English-Language Russia Today TV Channel, noted that Russia was forced to recognize the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in order not to lose the trust of its citizens, which in perspective could have led to separatism on its own territory. “If Russia had not recognized these republics after what had been done to them, then millions of people in the Russian Caucasian republics would have stopped respecting Russia. The Kremlin understood this, just as it also understood that the trust of its own people is more important than international support.”