MOSCOW: Russia will not comply with a European court ruling ordering it to pay Georgia almost $300 million for violations it has allegedly committed since their 2008 war, the Kremlin said Wednesday.
Russia invaded Georgia in 2008 after Tbilisi launched a surprise offensive against pro-Moscow separatist forces that it said were shelling Georgian villages.
Since then, it has occupied areas of northern and western Georgia comprising almost one-fifth of the country and installed puppet governments that have prevented the return of ethnic Georgian citizens, according to Tbilisi.
It has also blocked the teaching of Georgian in schools, Georgia says.
On Tuesday, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) upheld Georgia’s complaints, ordering Moscow to pay just over 253 million euros ($292 million) in compensation.
“We will not comply with the ruling,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
Moscow quit the Council of Europe, of which the ECHR is part, following its 2022 offensive on Ukraine but the court says it remains liable for violations committed before then.
Moscow has repeatedly ignored ECHR rulings, including while it was still a member of the Council of Europe.
Georgia formally cut diplomatic relations with Russia in the wake of their 2008 war, but has taken informal steps to improve ties in recent years — a process that Georgia’s opposition has heavily criticized.
When asked on Wednesday whether the non-payment of the fine would affect the diplomatic thaw, Peskov said it was a “separate matter.”
Moscow recognizes the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent, while most of the world recognizes them as Georgian territory.
Russia rejects compensation to Georgia over 2008 war
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Russia rejects compensation to Georgia over 2008 war
- ECHR upheld Georgia’s complaints, ordering Moscow to pay just over $292m in compensation
- “We will not comply with the ruling,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said
US set to relinquish several senior NATO command posts
- US will transfer leadership of its Norfolk command in Virginia, focusing on the alliance’s north, to Britain
- The changes will likely take months to be implemented, according to two NATO diplomats
BRUSSELS: The United States will hand over two top regional commands in NATO to European countries, diplomats said Monday, as President Donald Trump presses allies to take greater responsibility for their defense.
Washington will transfer leadership of NATO’s Naples command, which focuses on the alliance’s south, to Italy and leadership of its Norfolk command in Virginia, focusing on the alliance’s north, to Britain.
The United States will meanwhile take over the command of NATO’s maritime forces, based in the United Kingdom.
The changes, first reported by French outlet La Lettre, will likely take months to be implemented, two NATO diplomats told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“It’s a good sign of burden shifting in practice,” a diplomat said.
The shuffling of NATO command positions comes as Washington has said it could reduce its defense presence in Europe to focus on other threats like China.
But military superpower Washington will still remain central as it will have control of NATO’s core air, land and sea commands and retain the top position of Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
European countries have already ramped up military budgets in the face of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and last year agreed to hike NATO’s defense spending target.
Trump has rattled faith in the reliability of the United States and last month plunged the alliance into crisis by making claims on Greenland.
But US NATO ambassador Matthew Whitaker separately on Monday insisted that the US leader was looking to strengthen, rather than “dismantle,” NATO by making Europe step up.
“We’re trying to make NATO stronger, not to withdraw or reject NATO, but make it work like it was intended as an alliance of 32 strong and capable allies,” Whitaker said.
