(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Just days before the Russian government backed the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, people in Russia were already in favour of the endorsement, according to a poll by the All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center. 71 per cent of respondents agreed that Russia should acknowledge the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

According to international regulations, South Ossetia and Abkhazia belong to Georgia—a former Soviet republic. In the early 1990s, both pro-Russian regions became de facto independent but failed to be fully recognized as sovereign nations. Separatist forces operate in both regions. Georgia is currently led by pro-Western politicians and is in talks to enter the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

On Aug. 7, the Georgian government sent troops into South Ossetia in a surprise attack to assert sovereignty over the region. The following day, Russian tanks entered South Ossetia and confronted the Georgian army. The Russian government claimed that it was acting in defence of Russian citizens living in the region. In recent years, Russia has handed Russian passports to the vast majority of South Ossetia residents. Russian troops occupied South Ossetia and other parts of Georgia, and some disturbances were reported in Abkhazia as well.

On Aug. 12, French president Nicolas Sarkozy—whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union (EU)—brokered a cease fire which included a commitment by Russia to withdraw its forces from Georgian territory.

Russia has now pulled out most of its troops from central and Western Georgia. Russian soldiers are still present in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

On Aug. 25, Russian lawmakers unanimously passed a resolution asking Russian president Dmitry Medvedev to recognize South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent nations. The following day, Medvedev signed a decree formally acknowledging the independence of both regions.

On Aug. 28, Russian ambassador to China Sergey Razov defended his country’s decision to endorse the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, saying, "The hope of restoring territorial integrity and peaceful coexistence of the ethnic people of South Ossetia, Abkhazia and Georgia has been written off by the hand of Georgia’s leader. (...) According to the resolutions of their own parliaments, the presidents of South Ossetia and Abkhazia approached Russian leaders for recognition of national sovereignty. (...) Life in the region has been restored to order gradually. At the present, our goal is to resume classes for all primary and middle school students and help make them live peaceful lives."

Polling Data

It is possible that South Ossetia and Abkhazia will request to become independent states soon. How should Russia act when this request takes place?

Source: All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center
Methodology: Interviews with 1,594 Russian adults, conducted on Aug. 16 and Aug. 17, 2008. Margin of error is 3.4 per cent.

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