Former Carter National Security Adviser and longtime Russia expert Zbigniew Brzezinski has some interesting comments on Russia’s war with Georgia in this interview. I’m not sure that the situation requires as forceful a Western response as Brzezinski argues for. However, he is right to suggest that Russia’s offensive – which now apparently includes an effort to overthrow the democratically elected Georgian government – is an ominous sign of the Putin regime’s imperialistic ambitions. I also agree with Brzezinski’s comment that “This invasion of Georgia by Russia is a very sad commentary on eight years of self-delusion in the White House regarding Putin and his regime.” Even George W. Bush probably has to admit that he was wrong to believe that there is any good in the former KGB colonel’s “heart and soul,” which Bush claimed to have looked into back in 2001.
Brzezinski has recently served as a foreign policy adviser to Barack Obama. It would be interesting to know if his views on Russia reflect those of the Democratic nominee.