TBILISI. Aug 8 (Interfax) - Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in a Wednesday interview with the TV company Rustavi-2 that he sees no prospects for restoring friendly relations with Russia any time soon.
In commenting on Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev's recent remark that Tbilisi should recognize the realities that have taken shape in the region after the August 2008 armed conflict with Russia over South Ossetia, Saakashvili said, "I think it's impossible to normalize relations after such terms have been set."
Saakashvili admitted that, in relations with Russia, he was behaving like "a lamb before a wolf, but a wolf will never treat a lamb well, and the Georgian nation should realize this and follow its way, which is a European choice."
The new Georgian government's dream of "peaceful cohabitation" with the incumbent Russian leadership is naive, he said.
"The new Georgian authorities are trying to suggest to the people that this is possible, but the Russian leaders' statement puts everything in its proper place, and the people should open their eyes: it's impossible to come to terms with the current Russian leadership," Saakashvili said.