Russia will eventually lose the South Caucasus, expert says | Eastern Express https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/ef0c1e0f-7867-4ad9-88d7-a238eb8dc4ab Eighteen years after Russia formally recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states, the two territories remain outside Georgia’s control, with Russia maintaining a strong military, political, and economic presence. In our latest report, we look at how the conflicts began, the impact of the wars and ethnic displacement on local populations, and how Moscow has used the territories to preserve its influence in the South Caucasus. We also examine the current situation in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, including growing concerns over deeper integration with Russia. At the same time, we explore whether Georgia could one day restore territorial integrity through peaceful integration rather than military force. Eastern Express host Benjamin Lee is joined by George Mchedlishvili, Associate Professor at the European University in Tbilisi, to discuss what has changed since 2008, what has remained the same, and what the future could hold for the two territories. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:07 - 18 years after the war in Georgia 02:34 - How Abkhazia and South Ossetia broke away 03:44 - Why Russia still backs the two regions 06:12 - Has Georgia lost the territories forever? 08:26 - Russia's role in the conflict 13:07 - What does Moscow want next? 14:37 - Could the regions ever return to Georgia? 19:00 - Eastern News Flash 🔴 Watch our 24/7 livestream - https://youtube.com/live/9RY46AUtIl4 Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram. https://tvpworld.com/ https://www.facebook.com/tvpworldcom https://twitter.com/TVPWorld_com https://www.instagram.com/tvp_world/ https://www.threads.net/@tvp_world https://bsky.app/profile/tvpworld.bsky.social https://www.tiktok.com/@tvpworld.com https://t.me/tvp_world #Russia #Caucasus #geopolitics Mon, 21 Sep 2026 01:40:25 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://video.echelon.pl Russia will eventually lose the South Caucasus, expert says | Eastern Express https://video.echelon.pl/client/assets/images/icons/icon-1500x1500.png https://video.echelon.pl/videos/watch/ef0c1e0f-7867-4ad9-88d7-a238eb8dc4ab All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://video.echelon.pl/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.