[Baff]

Russia is not going to invade and annex Georgia for your incomprehensible reasons.

Much as we all wish they would. Evil corrupt warmongering little savages that they are. (Bless them).



I concur if Russia had wanted to annex Georgia it would simply have done so the other year when it over ran the place.



Anyway "hands off my pipeline Ivan!".

[Thunderhawk]

I thought Russia had good relations with Azerbaijan, why not transit through them?

[pikachu]

Sources add

Informed sources say

some Russians

Russian military source

sources say

Russian sources say

informed sources say

However, informed Russian sources say

These sources report

Russian sources say

Are you fucking serious? *explodes in anger*

[Rei Murasame]

I thought Russia had good relations with Azerbaijan, why not transit through them?

^ This. Russia not only has good relations with Azerbaijan, they have such good relations that Russians sell equipment to them which is actually superior to what they are willing to sell to Iran.

[Igor Antunov]

Not quite:

[pikachu]

I thought Russia had good relations with Azerbaijan, why not transit through them?

I would expect the Azeri government to be a bit hesitant about allowing such transit if the destination was Armenia (Azerbaijan doesn't like the idea of Russian military presence in Armenia, let alone increasing that presence), and especially if it looked like these troops might somehow become involved in the Iran war - because that would be picking sides and getting involved in the war, but at the same time I think they'd agree in the end.

[Igor Antunov]

There simply aren't sufficient roads.

[pikachu]

There simply aren't sufficient roads.There simply aren't sufficient roads.

what? Come on man, put at least a little thought into what you say. First of all, when military equipment is ferried across a territory, it is not carried by road.
[youtube]s0Bk39nxdA0[/youtube]

You must be expecting the Russian tanks to just be rolling along the highways, saying hi to the cars passing by?
And yes, of course there are functioning railway links, including even the passenger rail (which I had the privilege of using at one point), connecting Daghestan to Baku and Baku to Yerevan.

Second of all, what the hell is "insufficient roads" anyway? Your own map shows that yes there are roads, so.. how could they be insufficient? Not wide enough for your taste? It doesn't make any sense.

[Rei Murasame]

Maybe Igor was expecting Russia to send tanks through about twelve abreast with infantry marching alongside them, and that they'd affix little wheels to frigates and aircraft carriers and tow them across the land to the body of water on the other side, which would certainly require very wide roads.

He had to be half-asleep when he made that post or something, that's the only thing it could be.

[Igor Antunov]

Infrastructure plays an important part, and the azerbaijan route is far less efficient. As I said russia was looking for a reason to stomp georgia for good, and this will be it.