Georgia Needs Our Help—Not a Seat at NATO

Investment, not guns, is the way to face down Russia: Kristof

By Jason Farago, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 20, 2008 7:14 AM CST

(Newser) – Nicholas Kristof travels to Tbilisi, where ambitious, America-loving Georgians live in fear of a resurgent Russia. The United States needs to support this capitalist enclave in the Caucasus, writes the New York Times columnist—but not by letting it join NATO. The reason? President Mikheil Saakashvili may be brilliant and charismatic, but he has also been "spectacularly reckless," and tying American and Georgian troops together under a NATO flag would make things much worse.

After Georgia was "mauled by the bear," the US pledged $1 billion in aid, but that cash needs to be apportioned wisely. Spending it on defense is useless with Russia bearing down; instead, making Georgia into a trade and investment hub will do more to keep Moscow from invading again. Above all, a President Obama must engage Russia, despite its irresponsible behavior: "Poking badly behaved bears is no substitute for sober diplomacy."

[Images (5)]

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NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer gestures at a joint press conference in Kosovo's capital Pristina, on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008. (AP Photo/Visar Kryeziu)

An demonstrator holds a poster showing a portrait of US President-elect Barack Obama at a protest rally in Tbilisi, Georgia, Friday, Nov. 7, 2008. (AP Photo/Shakh Aivazov)

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili is seen during a Security Council meeting following a blast near the separatist region of Abkhazia, in Tbilisi, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2008. (AP Photo/Irakly Gedenidze, Pool)

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili during a meeting at the Defense Ministry in Tbilisi on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, flanked by the newly appointed Chief of the Joint Staff, Vladimer Chachibaia. (AP Photo/Irakly Gedenidze, Presidential Press Service, Pool)

Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili visits rebuilt houses in the central city of Gori, which was heavily bombed in a war with Russia in Georgia, Friday, Oct. 17, 2008. (AP Photo/Irakli Gedenidze, Pool)

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NATO is not Georgia’s future. Georgia’s future is economic growth. If they can continue the economic growth cycle they’re on, they’re safe. - Amy Denman, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Georgia

One of the few things that Obama and McCain agreed on in the campaign was to continue the process of admitting Georgia into NATO. In fact, that’s an awful idea. Obama needs a new approach to Russia if we want to avoid a new cold war.
- Nicholas Kristof

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Georgia Needs Our Help—Not a Seat at NATO