The Georgian president took a step too far. Russia shelling a seaside town on the Black Sea and killing civilians is hardly the actions of a kindly neighbour is it. The Russian government is doing what it has always done for centuries, it likes killing its own people. Its a bad habit and can't stop

Phil de Buquet, Newport,

Without history as part of European power plays-Georgia sought to force the Wests hand vs. Russia.
Newly empowered was eager to prove its might, and foolish proud Georgia thought trickery a match for power.
Georgia is to blame 100%, cause Russian reaction was predictable, it was also 100% avoidable

Johnny Morales, harker heights, texas, usa

This is a defining moment for the EU.

If Brussels can fix this, the European Union "experiment" moves forward.

If they do nothing the EU fades into irrelevance.

My bet is on them doing nothing...

The US should stay out and let them have at it.

GFR, Berkeley, California

More like Sudetenland than Sarajevo - naked pinching of sovereign territory which if not answered will be followed by the nexet bit and the next bit as old Russia extends its influence. Remember Georgia was the birth place of Stalin.

Richard, Newton Abbot,

On present trends, it looks as though Georgia will be 'voluntarily' seeking to join Russia, not NATO membership. Less Sarejevo, more Munich. As for the EU, what does it 'represent'? Surely not its own 'group'? Schroeder works for Gazprom, for goodness sake!

Andrew Baker, Oxford, UK

Georgia is at the doorstep of Europe and NATO, Peter from Melbourne, Australia. Europe and the US do need to worry about how far this conflict will go.

Australia has the benefit of being too far away and being too politically insignificant to worry about these "local and ethnic conflicts".

Krishan, Sydney, Australia

I fail to see how this helps Russia either. Every country around the world will now look at Russia as a problem to finesse, rather than a legitimate power. Amidst all the obfuscation one thing is clear: Russia is behaving like a rogue state, and in this sense it is quite alone.

Michael, Dallas, USA

Two options are apparent: War between the West and the aparatchiks who wish to rebuild the old soviet empire. Another that follows the Czech-Slovak model. The question is whether dreams of empire will yield. Viewed from inside another war zone I rather suspect not.

Warren Murphy, Goshen IN, USA

Britain, for instance, had the Irish problem

That is the wrong way round.

Morton, Praha, Czech Rep.

I hope that the government of Georgia and the general who ordered the destruction of the city of Schkinvali will be held responsible for their acts and without delay be produced the International Criminal Court to answer to charges of war crimes.

Georgia is certainly in need of regime change.

Gamini, Reading, England

Mike, MK

Oh, so you heard it from BBC or CNN? How about hearing it from thousands of Osetins fleeing georgian bombing? Get real and learn that the facts are not always what is shown on CNN and BBC.

Oleg, St. Pete, Russia

Are we heading for a phoney war, or even a new Iron Curtain? Coincidentally, is GB policy involvement in the EU at odds with any honourable,worthwhile response?
Fools think of continued peace when those in power talk energy and influence? This is it, our shame is complete, get used to it!

Nigel, Rhyl, GB

It is difficult for Russia to lose from the current conflict. At the worst, Georgia will lose the possibility of NATO membership. At best, Russia gains control of the Baku-Tiblisi pipeline, thus strengthening its position vis a vis Western European energy supplies.

Will, London, UK

All I can think of is when Hitler tried to get the Nazi German Sudetens to cause havoc in the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia. Idea being Czechoslovakia would respond severely, and Hitler could say he needed to protect the Germans living there, by taking that part of the country. It worked for him.

George, Bristol, UK

I agree with your comparison of Sarajevo with Georgia. I think it was very foolish of Georgia to start a war with Russia, altogether since Putin has come on the scene, Russia has started to get back to the cold war period and this war doesn't help. It seems mankind never learns.

Renny, Ramat Hasharon, Israel

Dmitry I have heard that most of the casualties have actually arisen from botched artillery and bombing runs....

But blame the West you have done for most of the last century why not stop now.......

Mike, MK,

it is quite insane for the Georgian President to reintegrate breakaway province by forces. so now on thanks to the Georgian president Georgia looses these provinces forever. such his stupid actions show obviously to all states of the ex-USSR the west helps never even if you sleep at in american bed.

rinat, almaty, kazakhstan

If politicians in EU don't start to use their heads (especially Schroeder and similar Russian puppets), we ought all to buy Russian dictionaries and start learning Russian. US is too preocupied with Israel and muslim nations to defend Europe from certain Russian occupation of the whole continent.

Marko, Maribor,

Hey Michael in Pilsen, you need to learn a little history if you think the US started that precedent; it was used by both Hitler and Stalin to start wars quite some time ago. But hey, if you can pin it on the US, you don't have to think about it anymore, right?

Rob, NY, USA

Really you wished to win Russian army? You badly learned history probably. That you have written all in clause it is lie! The American advisers need to prepare for allies is better.

Zodiak, Samara, Russia

Georgia should have thought before starting a genocide with 2 000 civilians slaughtered, more than 90% of whom are Russian citizens.

Georgia should have thought before ordering Georgian Peacekeepers to shoot Russian Peacekeepers.

Georgia shouldhave thought before starting a GENOCIDE.

Dmitriy Syuckarev, Khabarovsk, Russian Federation

US and NATO should be careful and not get sucked into a global conflict because of the stupid actions of others in local and ethnic conflicts which are incomprehensible to outsiders.

Peter, Melbourne, Australia

it's a shame america has left a precedent of the 'just war'... stabilising regions, protecting minorities etc., so obviously used for geopolitical ends. all the powers will be at it

Michael, Pilsen,

Georgia should have thought of 1956 when it decided to invade South Ossetia - when, after decades of "Rolling Back the Iron Curtain" foreign policy, courtesy of John Foster Dulles, the West stood still as Russia crushed the Hungarian rebellion. A similar result awaits this adventure.

John Connor, Millburn, N. J., U.S.A.

the nub's in Bill's last paragraph. The Georgian's calculated on NATO help to rid itself of separatists. A nod and wink given at the last NATO summit has been taken literally by them. Forget 1914. Then everyone was iching for a war: now, see how they run away and let Georgia crash and burn.

John Walter, bonn, germany