MOSCOW, August 23. /TASS/. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev said the idea of Abkhazia and South Ossetia joining Russia could become a reality if the West continues to ramp up its efforts to escalate the situation in Georgia.

In an article for the aif.ru website, Medvedev wrote: "We do not need a repetition of the 2008 story. We are still willing to sit down at the negotiating table to settle issues, in the spirit of the UN Charter. But we will not hesitate to act if our concerns materialize. The idea of joining Russia is still popular in Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and it may eventually be implemented if there are solid reasons for that."

The senior politician said with confidence that, "such a turn of events would be yet another embarrassing fiasco for the West and another symbol of its catastrophic loss of influence." He cautioned that history can be especially harsh in punishing those who disregard the need to learn from the past.

According to Medvedev, the West should realize that, in 2008, Russia stopped short of invading Tbilisi only after it removed the threat emanating from Georgia and obtained security guarantees. "But they are stirring up the situation again, apparently with the aim of causing tension near our borders on top of the Ukrainian flanks," he said. "Georgia’s potential NATO membership is being discussed again. Russophobia is now surging in this country, right on cue," he lamented.