Opinion by Michael McFaul: The world can’t allow the ex-president of Georgia to die in detention
Advertisementin the post-Soviet world. Importantly, after his second term as president, Saakashvili presided over the transfer of power to a successor through peaceful elections. That’s what democrats do.
Democratic leaders in the West celebrated Saakashvili as an inspiring democrat and effective reformer. Some of the methods successfully used in the Rose Revolution were replicated in thein Ukraine the following year. President George W. Bush developed a close personal relationship with Saakashvili; one of the main streets in downtown Tbilisi is named after the U.S. president. As vice president, Joe Biden also admired the Georgian leader. The respect was genuine.
But there was one foreign leader who detested Saakashvili: Vladimir Putin. A successful Georgian democracy on his southern flank was anathema to everything Putin stood for, and he was determined to block Saakashvili’s determination to anchor Georgia in the West. The Russian president particularly disliked his pronouncements about Georgia’s aspirations to join NATO. Putin feared the
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Can't the House of Representatives Elect a Speaker?The House of Representatives has voted six times and still has no Speaker. What's going on? See analysis and perspectives across the spectrum from FoxNewsOpinion, Newsweek, and CNNOpinion:
Read more »
Ohio State K Noah Ruggles 'takes full responsibility' for field goal miss vs. Georgia, per motherNoah Ruggles missed a 50-yard field goal attempt wide left to secure Georgia's spot in the national championship against TCU.
Read more »
Ohio State football vs. Georgia in Peach Bowl broke Buckeye hearts, and ratings recordsThe game garnered 22.1 million viewers, according to ESPN, making it the most-watched College Football Playoff game in prime time since the inaugural year and fourth-most overall.
Read more »
Georgia man fatally shoots tire shop employee moving carA Georgia man was charged with murder after fatally shooting a tire shop worker while moving his car. The man thought that the employee was a thief stealing his car.
Read more »
Identity of ‘Peach Bowl Girl’ from Ohio State-Georgia game revealedIdentity of 'Peach Bowl Girl' from Ohio State-Georgia game revealed
Read more »