David Chappell Speaks out on Georgia crisis

12.41.36pm GMT Sun 26th Oct 2008

At the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth David Chappell was called to speak on an emergency motion on Georgia. David criticised the knee jerk reaction to blame Russia for the crisis. It was after all the Georgian government that started the shooting when they decided to end the aspirations of the people of South Ossetia for their own independence and sent the soldiers in. Russia acted promptly to atop this aggression.

Political disputes should not be settled with a bullet.

In the last few years we have seen NATO, which was set up as protective organisation to defend western democracies against the fear of attack from a communist Russia, expand its boundaries taking into its fold many former communist countries.

It is not surprising that Russia sees plans for Ukraine, and Georgia to join NATO as acts of political aggression that encircle that country with potential enemies.

When a bear is wounded it is not wise to keep prodding it.

We need to do more to reassure Russia that we have no hostile plans towards it, and think more carefully about rushing forward plans to expand NATO in a manner that can so easily be seen as threatening by others.