It seems to me the tipping point in our favor would be the moment that Georgia and Turkey agree to safeguard a US-led humanitarian mission at the Batumi naval and air bases. With that automatically comes a no-Russe air zone over the Lesser Caucasus to protect Turkey’s border (and excellent highland highways) and keep a strategic watch over Armenia’s border.

Then any Russian armor invasion into Georgia’s South-Eastern rump, necessarily by rail from their base at Gyumri, would be awfully vulnerable.

And that keeps those rascally wine makers in Eastern Georgia in business! Mmmm-mmm, good!