Russian war games in Georgia

War has broken out again between Russia and Georgia, with Poland and Ukraine dragged into the fighting. Thankfully it’s not for real.

“Confrontation — Peace Enforcement” sees Georgia again trying to retake South Ossetia and Abkhazia with NATO’s backing. Ukraine blockades Russia’s Black Sea fleet, and Moscow launches a retaliatory strike. It looks all too real, but the game’s creators insist it is just a game.

“Frankly, I think it is silly that this game could lead to real conflict,” said Alexander Dmitrevsky.

“Games do not do that, people do. Wars fought on the computer screen are the best wars. It is just that, a computer screen.”

“Confrontation — Peace Enforcement” has obvious political overtones: indeed, ‘peace enforcement’ was the phrase used by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to describe his army’s mission in Georgia last August. That war drove relations with America to a post-Cold War low as Moscow accused the West of interfering in its sphere of influence.

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tags: Georgia, Russia