The Big Caucasus: consequences of the 'Five Day War', threats and political prospects

Abstract

This paper analyzes the possible implications of the August 2008 'five day war' between the Russian Federation and Georgia. The author discusses the 'unfreezing' of the conflicts in the Caucasus and describes the existent non-recognized state entities and the other ethnopolitical conflicts with which the region is ridden. He explores the perspectives of major regional and extra-regional stakeholders in the area and the ambitious policies which they deploy. The paper also explains the dynamics leading up to the 'five day war' and its significance for the re-shaping of the political and security realities in the 'Big Caucasus.