UN General Assembly
2012

Russia also failed at that goal. We often say that after the Russians failed to physically destroy the Georgian leadership, failed to succeed in any of the purposes of their invasion and basically were forced to stay where they are, within occupied territories — in what most of the world and most international organizations call illegally occupied territories, meaning that they will have to withdraw — now they are trying to undermine us because they have a strong sense of unfinished business. It is not just the fate of a small country of less than 5 million people that is being played out in this scenario. The fate of the whole post-Soviet space is being played out, affecting 400 to 500 million people. Because Russia failed to destroy Georgian democracy in 2008, countries in Central Asia such as Ukraine and Belarus, people in the Republic of Moldova and Eastern Europe, all think that freedom is the right choice after all and that even the smallest free country cannot be undermined and destroyed if it stands strong and united