The Georgian government announced Wednesday that it nipped an attempted mutiny in the bud. The conspiracy, President Mikhail Saakashvili said, was orchestrated by Russia.

A tank battalion has mutinied at a military base near Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, the government has said.

Tanks and armored personnel carriers are being sent to quell the rebellion at the Mukhrovani base, witnesses say.

The authorities say the mutiny is part of an attempted coup – linked to Russia and aimed at assassinating President Mikhail Saakashvili.

Russia’s envoy to NATO described the charges as “mad”. The trouble comes a day before Nato exercises in Georgia.

If Russia is involved in a conspiracy to overthrow and assassinate Saakashvili, the West has to rush to Georgia’s aid and do everything necessary to protect him and his nation.

Is the accusation indeed “mad,” as Russia says? No, not at all, of course. Russia has overthrown unfriendly, democratic rulers in the past and will undoubtedly try to do so again. Saakashvili is an enemy of Russia. He is oriented on the West, and wants to help the US decrease Russia’s regional influence.

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin undoubtedly dream about assasinating the Georgian president.

Back to the conspiracy: Georgia says it isolated the rebellion and decided to act after following the plot unfold for two months.

President Mikhail Saakashvili says a mutiny in a tank battalion based near Georgia’s capital is an isolated case and the situation in the country is fully under control.

The latest news is that the rebellion is “over.”

As Ed Morrissey explains at Hot Air:

Russia promised to leave Georgia as part of the peace agreement brokered by France.  Thus far, they have reneged on that agreement.  If they haven’t plotted to assassinate Saakashvili, they’ve certainly acted to destabilize him and attempt to absorb Georgia as a de facto satellite, if not annex it…

Russia wants to play for the gas and oil pipelines coming out of the Caucasus, which mainly serve Europe.  If Putin and Medvedev control Georgia’s energy output, they will control most of Europe’s imports — and therefore put itself in position to make the EU a vassal state of sorts to a new Russian empire.  Even an engineered coup d’etat that puts a Putin lackey in charge of Georgia would be sufficient for those aims.  Will NATO hold firm in its support for Georgia’s elected government, or will Europe and the Obama administration hit reverse?

I think Morrissey exaggerates it when he says Russia wants to turn into “a vassal state of sorts.” Putin and Medvedev are realists. They know that the EU is richer, more populous, and has more potential than the new Russian empire.

No, Moscow does not want to turn the EU into a vassal state, but certain specific countries in the region (like Georgia). It wants to expand its zone of influence, and be able to blackmail Western European countries every now and then to protect its interests. That is not the equivalent of “a vassal state,” however, because the EU will be inherently stronger and better equipped for the future than Russia – a vassal state is weaker. The EU is not. At least, not economically nor population.

Let’s not forget that Russia is bound to collapse within a decade or so. It has a major birthrate problem. Its economy cannot survive. Putin and Medvedev know this. They are trying to get their hands on as much natural resources, etc. as possible so their country can survive its upcoming crisis.

That does not mean that Russia is not dangerous, of course. It is. Perhaps even more dangerous than it would be if it was strong and healthy.