RUSSIA'S DESPATCH of 1,000 more troops to Abkhazia, the semi-tropical coastal strip it disputes with Georgia, will further ratchet up political and security tension there. Coming just ahead of the transition from Vladimir Putin to Dmitry Medvedev as president of Russia, it signifies a hardening of positions among Moscow's security elite in their confrontation with Georgia.
The long-standing disputes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia concern territories occupied by distinct ethnic groups demanding self-determination, but they are accused by the Georgians of expelling former inhabitants who wanted to maintain their status as a region of that state. Both places have become enclaves for lawless bands. It suits the Russians to assert control over them as a way to retaliate against independent Georgia's demand for Nato membership and to keep a foothold in this strategic region.
Georgia's Nato ambitions bring it inevitably into conflict with Russia in its present, more assertive, phase of recovery from the loss of international influence and national pride during the 1990s. Mr Putin has argued that Nato membership for Georgia, along with Ukraine, would bring that alliance to the very borders of Russia, upsetting the strategic balance in Europe. That has given him a clear motive to keep control of Abkhazia. Some 2,000 Russian peacekeeping troops are already there, but Moscow has ignored Georgian demands that they be replaced with a multinational force.
Mr Medvedev will presumably maintain this Russian stance. But just to ensure he does, this reinforcement has been deployed ahead of the transition by the military authorities. It feeds into another foreign policy issue facing the new president - the independence of Kosovo. Although this has been proclaimed, it is not universally recognised internationally or by the United Nations. Russia has supported Serbia's rejection of it, citing the dangerous precedents set elsewhere. This troop reinforcement is a timely reminder that facts on the ground can be created to counter efforts by the United States to expand Nato and of the European Union to rule independent Kosovo, which in reality cannot survive without extensive outside assistance.
Mr Medvedev will have control of Russia's foreign policy when he takes over power next week. It remains to be seen how he works with Mr Putin as prime minister. More continuity is to be expected in his foreign policy, as least initially.