From an editorial on the breakdown of peace talks between Georgia and Russia in Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.

The fact that Georgia triggered the military clash by sending troops to retake South Ossetia doesn’t justify Russia’s decision to recognize the two pro-Moscow regions in Georgia as independent states. Russia, which had been issuing passports to residents in these regions, responded to Georgia’s attack on South Ossetia by deploying military units under the pretext of protecting its own citizens. Such heavy-handed tactics should not be tolerated.