Quote:
Originally Posted by BadCompany
But Georgia uses Russian crap,why not just buy from russia?(Before the war)
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Simply put Saakashvili did not enjoy the relationship with Russia (and Putin and Medvedev) that Shevardnadze did with the Soviet Union and Russia (and Gorbachev and Yeltsin). Furthermore, according to the SIPRI registers no purchases were made from Russia at all, and the only Russian equipment integrated was that which was left behind or otherwise transferred under the agreements ending the Soviet Union and ending the 1992-1993 war in Georgia.
Prior to Saakashvili the general move had been to reduce the Georgian armed forces dramatically as well. Saakashvili and his desire to join NATO turned this around. NATO requires you spend at least 3% of your GDP on defense and requires interoperability with its equipment and structure. Georgia has been trying to replace or update its equipment. Russian equipment would not have contributed to solving these problems. Ukrainian equipment, as the Ukrainians are also looking to join NATO, would, as would aid from sympathetic existing NATO nations (Germany, Greece, Turkey, and the United States among others). These nations have donated ships, helicopters, and other equipment to Georgia in the past.
What Russian "crap" is still in service and acquired after the 1990s was undoubtedly acquired, or more accurately impressed from Russians departing last year. I would say that labeling it as "crap" is also a dangerously broad labeling.
Re: Changing flags
Hybrid Mode
