MOSCOW -- President Vladimir V. Putin signed a treaty on Nov. 24 to expand Russia's authority over Abkhazia, a breakaway region of Georgia, effectively giving the Kremlin a dominant role in military and economic policy and making it easier for residents of Abkhazia to obtain Russian citizenship.
New York Times: Pact tightens Russian ties with Abkhazia
Georgia, like Ukraine, has been moving toward closer political and economic ties with the EU. Officials in Tbilisi said the new accord with Abkhazia was yet another attempt by Russia to thwart the westward ambitions of a former Soviet republic while tightening the Kremlin's influence.
