[Medvedev Explains Why He Recognized the Independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia at the Time]
On August 25, 2026, Moscow time, Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Security Council, answered questions from South Ossetia News as follows:
After the military operation in South Ossetia, the only way to ensure the progressive development of the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia was to recognize the independence of these two republics. As president and supreme commander-in-chief at the time, I fully abided by international law and the Charter of the United Nations, taking into account the free will of the peoples of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and signed the corresponding decrees. Had I not done so, the course of events would have been entirely different. Our adversaries would have believed, quite frankly, that they could trample upon us and our country at will. But this would never happen.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874470860397580/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.