Georgia - Sept 7

Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, has made a significant trip to the Caucus region this past week, stopping in Georgia to proclaim support for the small nation. While he did not specify in what ways the United States would offer aid, it is no coincidence that Georgia is the main transit state for oil and natural gas from the Caspian that is being transported to Western Europe. With relations in Crimea as tense as ever, perhaps Hagel’s claim for support is to serve as a warning to Russia (who invaded the country in 2008) that Georgia would not be abandoned for Russian annexation in the same way another Soviet republic was this past year. Source: Wall Street Journal