Putin did not congratulate Abkhazia

On August 26, Abkhazia celebrated Recognition Day. However, Vladimir Putin—the president of the Russian Federation, which recognized Abkhazia’s independence on this day 16 years ago—did not extend any congratulations. Inal Khashig, the Abkhaz editor of JAMnews and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Chegemskaya Pravda,” believes that Putin simply wanted to avoid creating problems for the Georgian government ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Recognition Day was marked with thunder, lightning, and a concert by Russian rapper Basta in Sukhumi, but president Aslan Bzhania of Abkhazia did not receive official congratulations from Vladimir Putin.

In previous years, Putin always sent his congratulations and sometimes even delivered them personally on camera. This time, however, only Dmitry Medvedev spoke with Bzhania over the phone, and that was it.

Yes, in 2008, Medvedev was officially Russia’s president and the one who signed the act recognizing the statehood of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on behalf of the Russian Federation. However, his current position is much less prominent—he now serves as Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.

I disagree with the Abkhaz opposition’s theory that Putin simply dislikes Bzhania. To be fair, it’s possible that he does. However, this hasn’t stopped the Russian president from sending his annual congratulations to his Abkhaz counterpart on every holiday so far. And, after all, it’s not just the president who is being congratulated, but the citizens as well.

Moreover, Putin did not congratulate South Ossetia’s president Alan Gagloev on the same occasion either.

It’s unlikely that Putin simply “forgot” about this date.

In my view, this is a deliberate tactic connected to the current situation in Georgia.

Putin just doesn’t want to create problems for the Georgian authorities—specifically the ruling “Georgian Dream” party and its leader Bidzina Ivanishvili—before the parliamentary elections, as their opponents constantly accuse them of pandering to Kremlin interests.

And to sweeten the pill for the Abkhaz people, the day was brightened with a concert by the popular rapper Basta.

Putin did not congratulate Abkhazia