MOSCOW. Feb 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Andrei Nikolayev, head of the defense committee in the State Duma lower house of Russian parliament, considers that Russian troops must not participate in the operation aimed at ousting rebels from the Georgian Pankisi gorge on any conditions.
Russia's involvement must be limited to "information provision" primarily from special services, Nikolayev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Friday. "God forbid if we put our troops in the Georgian territory at the request of that country; the same Georgians will later blame us for causing troubles," the lawmaker said.
According to him, a joint U.S.-Georgian operation in the gorge is unlikely to happen. This is unreal, Nikolayev added.