We are sending people to Georgia to prepare Georgia for round two:
[The] Pentagon announced this week that it would send a team to examine the Georgian military's "legitimate needs." It did not say the U.S. would rebuild Georgia's forces, but said Georgia "should have the ability to defend itself and to deter renewed aggression." ...
Speaking to AP in Poti recently, Georgian Defense Minister David Kezerashvili said what Georgia needs is not restoration of lost tanks but an overhaul of its military, focusing on defensive weapons and training of officers for a defensive war.
If the Georgians are ready to defend their nation, we will help them arm and train to do that.
The Ukrainians, too, feel a little vulnerable near the Russians. We are trying to reassure them that they will not be alone if attacked:
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Fried pledged Friday that the United States would back Ukraine in a territorial dispute.
"The United States, and I daresay Europe as well, support Ukraine's independence, its freedom, its democracy, its right to chose its own future," Fried told reporters after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart.
"Our support for Ukraine has only increased as the result of pressure and will only increase if there is pressure from other places," Fried said. "I hope that no one puts Ukraine's territorial integrity into question."
The Russians have created foes where they had potential friends. We need to back them so that Russia is stymied right off the bat in their imperial restoration project. Knock them back and maybe the Russians will come to their senses and put someone in charge who isn't in need of intense psychological counseling to get over their depression about their loss of empire.
