Promotion of Geopolitical Interests Through Military
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PROMOTION OF GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS THROUGH MILITARY INTERVENTION IN REGIONAL CONFLICTS: US/NATO INTERVENTION IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA IN 1999 AND RUSSIAN INCURSION INTO GEORGIA IN 2008 Zumrat K. Salmorbekova A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Arts in the Curriculum in Russian and East European Studies. Chapel Hill 2009 Approved by: Dr. Robert Jenkins Dr. Graeme Robertson Dr. Mark Crescenzi ABSTRACT ZUMRAT K. SALMORBEKOVA: PROMOTION OF GEOPOLITICAL INTERESTS THROUGH MILITARY INTERVENTION IN REGIONAL CONFLICTS: US/NATO INTERVENTION IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA IN 1999 AND RUSSIAN INCURSION INTO GEORGIA IN 2008 (Under the direction of Dr. Robert Jenkins) The August 2008 Russian use of force against sovereign Georgia shocked the international community. The intervention triggered comparisons with the US-led NATO military intervention into the former Yugoslavia in 1999. This paper explores key foreign policy interests of the US and Russia and examines how these interests were expressed in these military interventions. The analysis revealed similarities in goals and differences in approaches. Both the US and Russia promoted their national geopolitical interests through military intervention. Nevertheless, there are considerable differences in their peace- mediation approaches with the involvement of international institutions preceding military intervention. The author believes that Russia’s incursion into Georgia sends a strong message to newly independent states, in particular Ukraine, about the possible consequences of seeking close relations with the West. Indeed, the building of mutual trust and understanding between the United States and Russia provides the best hope for overcoming future aggressive actions in response to other regional conflicts in the post-Soviet space. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been possible without the support and effort of many people. I am extremely grateful to Dr. Robert Jenkins for bringing me to UNC and for his valuable advice, which enhanced this paper. I am thankful as well to my thesis committee members Dr. Graeme Robertson and Dr. Mark Crescenzi for their constructive criticism, suggestions, and time. I am pleased to acknowledge the assistance and support of the Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies. My deep appreciation goes to Nydia Fors for providing valuable feedback on my English writing skills and constant moral support. I would like to give special thanks to my family for encouraging and believing in me. Last but not least, I would like to express my gratitude to the Rotary World Peace Fellowship for giving me the opportunity to study at the great University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... vi Chapter I. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................1 Research Question and Argument .............................................................................................3 Methodology ..............................................................................................................................8 Organization of the thesis ..........................................................................................................9 II. FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION..............................................................................................12 National Interests and Foreign Policy of the United States .................................................13 US interests in Kosovo........................................................................................................15 US interests in Georgia .......................................................................................................18 United States Participation in Multilateral Organizations ....................................................21 National Interests and Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation ........................................26 Russian interests in Kosovo ................................................................................................33 Russian interests in Georgia................................................................................................36 Russia’s Participation in Multilateral Organizations ...............................................................42 iv III. “OPERATION ALLIED FORCE”: DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND MILITARY INTERVENTION INTO KOSOVO IN 1999..........................................................................51 US motives for military intervention into the former Yugoslavia .......................................51 History of conflict ................................................................................................................55 Peace mediation process and use of force ............................................................................58 Reaction of the Russian Federation ......................................................................................66 IV. “COERCION OF GEORGIA TO PEACE”: DIPLOMATIC EFFORTS AND MILITARY INTERVENTION INTO GEORGIA IN 2008 ....................................................70 Russia’s motives for military intervention in Georgia .........................................................71 History of conflict and peacekeeping operation ...................................................................74 Use of force ..........................................................................................................................81 V. CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................86 Similarities in goals ..............................................................................................................86 Differences in approaches ....................................................................................................91 Confrontation of interests .....................................................................................................93 Implications for US and Western policies toward Russia and its ‘zone of influence’ .........95 APPENDICES .........................................................................................................................98 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................................102 v LIST OF TABLES Table 1. US’s and Russia’s strategic interests……………………………………………90 2. Differences and similarities in approaches……………………………………..92 vi ABBREVIATIONS CIS Commonwealth of Independent States CSTO Collective Security Treaty Organization EU European Union FRY Federal Republic of Yugoslavia JPKF Joint Peacekeeping Force MAP Membership Action Plan NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization OSCE Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe UN United Nations UNOMIG United Nations United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia UNSC United Nations Security Council US United States USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION The five day war in the South Caucasus between Russia and Georgia in August 2008 shocked the international community and raised many questions regarding the ability of international institutions to prevent unlawful military interventions into the territory of sovereign states, as well as their ability to respond to such regional conflicts. The Russian military intervention into the territory of Georgia provoked widespread discussion about the legitimacy of the use of force against a sovereign state and, as a consequence, raised questions about its impact on stability in Europe, threats to the energy corridor, which goes through Georgian territory, and the real role of Russia as an equal partner to democratic countries in ensuring peace and security in the region. 1 In academic circles and the mass media, this event triggered discussions that the US- led NATO war over Kosovo created precedents for opportunistic adaptations. George Friedman argues that “the war in 1999 was the framework that created the war of 2008” and points out that without understanding Kosovo it is impossible to understand the war between Russia and Georgia. 2 On the contrary, Charles King argues that South Ossetia and Kosovo 1 “Russia vs. Georgia: The Fallout.” International Crisis Group. Europe Report no 195, Tbilisi/Brussels. 22 Aug. 2008. 15 Oct. 2008. <http://www.crisisgroup.org/library/documents/europe/caucasus/195_russia_vs_georgia___the_fallout.pdf>. 2 Friedman, George. “Georgia and Kosovo: A Single intertwined Crisis.” Stratfor.com , 25 Aug. 2008. 17 Oct. 2008 <http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/georgia_and_kosovo_single_intertwined_crisis>. George Friedman is Founder and CEO of Stratfor, a private intelligence company publishing geopolitical and security analysis. He is author of America’s Secret War. His new book, The Next Hundred Years, will be published in January 2009. are not the same; he indicates that there are differences in the circumstances of the military interventions, as well as in the involvement of multilateral institutions before and during the operation, which in Kosovo was undertaken by a Western coalition and afterwards followed by a UN peacekeeping mission. 3 Ironically,