https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2008/08/17/linkage/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 03:56:48 -0400<![CDATA[Despite the &#8220;ceasefire&#8221; between Russia and Georgia, Russian forces have cut the country in half. Even if Russia actually kept its troops in place without mischievously moving them around, they would effectively disrupt Georgian national life and relegate its remnants to a kind of rump state. The chief problem facing Saakashvili is that he has no practical short-term way to rid himself of the Russians. While in the long-term, the Russo-Georgian war will be boost US arms procurement and rouse European allies against Moscow, over the next few weeks it is hard to see how Georgia can force the Russians out. Since the diplomatic package Secretary Rice and Nicolas Sarkozy have put on the table stipulates that the territorial integrity of Georgian territory will be maintained (at least in the minimal sense of returning the Georgian heartland to Tbilisi&#8217;s control) the energy needed to push the Russians out will have to come from somewhere else. The question is where. One source of pressure was the Ukraine. Radio Free Europe reported that it was considering tying its radars into the Western missile defense system.]]>Sun, 17 Aug 2008 05:51:18 -0400<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2008/08/17/linkage-n185920