格魯吉亞多民族組成的社會文化，使得自格魯吉亞獨立以來，少數民族分離運動造成國家內部動盪不安，為確保國家領土完整、主權及國防安全等考量，格魯吉亞以武力壓制南奧塞梯(South Ossetia)的民族分離運動，導致民族分離問題演變為格俄戰爭，進而使得原本國內問題升高至國際衝突。此次衝突在法國總統薩科奇(Nicolas Sarkozy)斡旋下，於莫斯科簽訂六項停火協議，但目前中央政府與民族分離地區關係仍相當緊繃。俄羅斯對境內車臣（Chechnya）及印古什（Ingushetia）爭取獨立極力壓制，但卻不遺餘力的在南奧塞梯及阿布哈茲（Abkhazia）投入軍力資源及經濟投資；是什麼原因讓世界強權支持不同種族、不同語言的分離運動？2008年在格俄衝突爆發後，各國際組織及西歐勢力第一時間反映出國際政治角力的現實面，我們又應如何解讀其背後意涵。綜觀格魯吉亞內部因素及國際社會實際情況後，期能藉此預測未來格魯吉亞主權及領土完整性的變化。

俄羅斯在2008年8月8日北京奧運開幕期間對格魯吉亞 （Georgia）用兵，起因是格魯吉亞出兵南奧塞梯(South Ossetia)自治州，欲趁俄羅斯總理普欽（Putin）前往北京參加奧運開幕式之際，其可能對格魯吉亞出兵無法做出立即的反應，意圖以閃電戰收回長期以來有獨立運動的南奧塞梯自治州與阿布哈玆（Abkhazia）自治共和國，結果造成俄羅斯立即出兵格魯吉亞展開高加索反擊戰，受過車臣戰爭訓練有素的駐高加索俄軍，輕易地把局勢逆轉進入南奧塞梯首府茨欣瓦利（Ts khinvali）。兩國戰火持續了五天，格魯吉亞政府透過歐盟向俄方傳遞停火要求，於是雙方在歐盟主席輪值國的法國總統薩科奇(Sarkozy)的調停之下接受「俄法六原則」的停火協議。俄羅斯聯邦議會上下兩院更在25日全票通過兩地向俄羅斯提出欲獨立的呼籲書，呼籲俄羅斯總統梅德韋傑夫（Medvedev）正式承認兩地的獨立地位。無預警的戰事受到美國、歐盟、及中國的高度關切並在國際間專家、學者間興起研究的風潮，俄羅斯與格魯吉亞究竟如何爆發衝突為本文研究的第一個動機。

俄羅斯與西方在南奧塞梯及科索沃宣布獨立問題上採取截然不同的立場，科索沃宣布獨立後，俄羅斯表示堅決反對科宣布獨立，此舉破壞國際法準則及地區穩定，國際社會不應奉行雙重標準，也不能出於政治考慮有選擇地利用國際法。 俄羅斯在協助南奧塞梯的獨立運動支持喬治亞分離主義的同時，卻強硬鎮壓其境內的車臣與印古什獨立運動，前者可以幫助俄羅斯擴大在前蘇聯境內的影響力，後者可以確保俄羅斯境內不會產生分離主義的骨牌效應，支持前者、鎮壓後者都確保俄國在歐亞政治板塊中的地緣政治優勢。 俄羅斯在對南奧塞梯及科索沃獨立態度上，可就下列面向比較討論：(1)當南宣布獨立時，俄國立即宣布承認，並認為其有權決定自己命運；當科宣布獨立時，俄則認為其獨立破壞國際法準則及地區穩定，負面影響如車臣(2)國際法方面：對南的態度是根據局勢發展做出的決定符合有關國際文件；對科則要求安理會遵守1244號決議，並認定其單方面宣布獨立無效(3)考量因素：對南則是捍衛在喬治亞戰略、政治利益、經濟與生態維護利益；對科則是俄與塞同為斯拉夫民族，科在沙皇時期為俄傳統勢力範圍，另以經濟角度來看，巴爾幹是俄對歐出口能源通道。 南奧塞梯和阿布哈玆問題反應國家主權與民族自決權的獨立。維護國家主權和領土完整是國際關係的一個普遍原則，然而現在美國歐盟與俄羅斯卻都出現雙重標準，在科索沃獨立問題上，西方國家強調民族自決權，俄羅斯則譴責美歐破壞塞爾維亞主權將帶來嚴重後果。而在俄喬衝突中，俄羅斯支持南、阿獨立。在此兩事件中，在國家主權及民族自決權雙重標準下，造成國際關係的動盪。在科索沃和南奧塞梯的問題上，美國、俄羅斯和歐盟正是依民族自決權原則為依據，先塞爾維亞後喬治亞，通過對別國的干涉而維護自己的利益。 / Russia and the West take different positions on the issue in declaration of independence on South Ossetia and Kosovo. After Kosovo's declaration of independence, Russia is firmly opposed Kosovo's declaration of independence, and this action effect destabilize regional and norms of international law. The international community should not take double standard, and use international law selective out of political considerations. Russia helped to support Georgia secessionist movement and South Ossetia's independence, but it had tough crackdown in Chechnya and Ingushetia independence movement. The former can help Russia to expand the territory of the former Soviet Union's influence, which can ensure that Russia will not produce a domino effect separatism. This will ensure that the Russian preserve geopolitical advantage in the Eurasian areas. Russia's attitude towards the independence of South Ossetia and Kosovo, we can compare in the following aspects: (1) When the South Ossetia declared independence, Russia announced to recognize immediately, while Kosovo declared independence this action effect destabilize regional and norms of international law such as Chechnya (2) in the international law: Russia made a decision according with the situation toward South Ossetia; and Russia required to comply with UN Security Council resolution 1244, and concluded its unilateral declaration of independence is invalid (3) consideration factors: to protect the political, economic and ecological interests of the South Ossetia, while in Kosovo, with the economic perspective, the Balkan is a Russian exports to the EU energy channels. South Ossetia and Abkhazia issues react the national sovereignty and national self-determination of independence. Maintaining national sovereignty and territorial integrity is a general principle of international relations, however, the EU, Russia, and the United States had double standards on the issue of Kosovo's independence. In Western countries they stressed national self-determination, but Russia condemned the United States and Europe undermine the sovereignty of Serbia and it will bring serious consequences. Russia supported the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in this incident. With the double standard in national sovereignty and national self-determination, it will cause turbulence in international relations. On the issue of Kosovo and South Ossetia, the United States, Russia and the EU are on the base of according to the principle of national self-determination, to protect their own interests by the interference of other countries.

2008年的俄喬戰爭是俄羅斯自解體以來第一次境外用兵，本文試圖透過守勢現實主義 ( defensive realism ) 的角度來解釋這一場俄羅斯的對外衝突。守勢現實主義國家的行為模式包括維持守勢現狀、對外尋求合作，因此得以處理安全困境難題，而在威脅等級過高時可能採取預防性戰爭來消除威脅。本文藉由守勢現實主義的觀點與行為模式來解釋俄羅斯的外交行為，透過檢視俄羅斯自解體以來的國家行為模式確立俄羅斯為守勢現實主義國家。再者藉由探討俄喬衝突中分離主義問題與俄喬關係中的矛盾以說明衝突的遠因與近因。最後探討俄羅斯在外高加索地區的利益與衝突以解釋俄羅斯在俄喬戰爭中的出兵動機。俄羅斯在解體之後的外交政策大多採取不衝突與合作的策略，隨著喬治亞的政權更替，俄羅斯對喬治亞的關係從合作走向以政策制衡，最後基於俄羅斯南部的地緣安全與北約東擴等等來自西方的威脅之下，俄羅斯採取了協助喬治亞分離地區的軍事行動來解決自身威脅。本論文認為俄羅斯不僅在2008年前屬於守勢現實主義國家，以守勢現實主義的觀點來看，俄喬戰爭更是一場為了應對歐美威脅的防禦性戰爭。 / The 2008 Russo – Georgian war was the first military action outside borders since the collapse of USSR. In this thesis, I describe the conflict using the perspective of Defensive Realism. The behavior of a state using a defensive realism perspective includes remain status-quo of defensive, seeking cooperation, therefore are able to manage the security dilemma. When the threat level is too high, a state using a defensive realism perspective may launch a preventive war to eliminate the threat. First, by examining Russia’s state behavior between 1992 to 2008. We are able to determine that Russia follows defensive realism behavior. Secondly, by studying the separatism of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia and the change of relationship between Russia and Georgia, we are able to elucidate the factors that caused the Russo-Georgian war. Finally, we explore Russia’s interests and threats in South Caucasus area that reveal the motivation for Russia the launch the counter strike against Georgia. Russia has tended to take the non-conflict route and cooperative strategy in diplomacy after Soviet-era ended. Due to the regime change in Georgia, Russia changed its policy toward Georgia from cooperative to containment. Finally, as the threat from the West rose and another round of NATO enlargement occurred, while it’s threating the geopolitical security of the southern border, Russia decided to launch a preventive war to assist the separatist states within Georgia. In conclusion, not only Russia is a defensive realism state, from the perspective of defensive realism, the 2008 Russo-Georgia war is a preventive war against the threat of the West.