This could take awhile
The quote from a senior Russian military commander doesn’t really fill me with confidence that the Russian occupation of Georgia is ending any time soon: I can say for certain when the New Year will come but I cannot give an exact date for the withdrawal of our troops from the conflict area yet," said ...
The quote from a senior Russian military commander doesn't really fill me with confidence that the Russian occupation of Georgia is ending any time soon:
The quote from a senior Russian military commander doesn’t really fill me with confidence that the Russian occupation of Georgia is ending any time soon:
I can say for certain when the New Year will come but I cannot give an exact date for the withdrawal of our troops from the conflict area yet," said Col.-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn. "I can only say that we will not be leaving as fast as we came."
Russia seems to be continuing the dismantling of Georgia’s miltiary infrastructure even as President Medvedev speaks as if the withdrawal is already happening. In spite of Nogovitsyn’s assurances that troops are pulling out of the central Georgian city of Gori, there’s no sign that they’re leaving.
It’s now been almost a week since Medvedev ordered a ceasefire. I’m curious to see how long the Russians can plausibly claim to be withdrawing without any of their troops actually leaving Georgia.
Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating
More from Foreign Policy

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America
The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense
If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War
Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests
And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.