Holbrooke wants to have the cake, and eat it, too.

...

Holbrooke: I do not believe the United States should or will make concessions about Georgia. I certainly would oppose that. Georgian territorial integrity is important, the Russians should stop supporting the breakaway illegal regimes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and Georgia should be allowed to develop on its own.


...


Holbrooke: Of course, Kosovo will become independent. It's inevitable. But the Russians are encouraging the hard-liners in Belgrade by opposing the [Martti] Ahtisaari plan and that is very unhelpful.

...


It remains to be seen whether 'with a friend like the US who needs an enemy' situation will become true for Georgia or they have made a good choice to align themselves so closely with the US interests. I understand their desire to get rid of the Russian meddling into their affairs. I just don't know if it's wise to offer their country as a battleground in between Russia and the US. The whole purpose of US foreign affairs is to kick the Russians into insignificant existence very much like the what happens when you kick a dog and it runs away shrieking with the tail in between its legs.



Of course, I could care less about Georgia's territorial integrity if it did not directly affect the future of my country. I am not so eagerly waiting for the developments around Kosovo and Georgia. I hope Armenia is not presented as a sacrificial lamb on a plate to Turkey.



Read the whole Holbrooke interview on RFE/RL.