Putin defends rebel regions' independence one year on

Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) and South Ossetia's regional leader Eduard Kokoity gesture during a news conference in Moscow, August 26, 2009.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Prime Minister Vladimir Putin defended Russia's recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia as independent states a year ago, a move he described on Wednesday as an assertion of power in the face of U.S. dominance.

The Kremlin crushed a Georgian attempt to retake its breakaway province of South Ossetia in a five-day war last August. Moscow swiftly recognized it and fellow rebel region Abkhazia as independent states, deploying troops in each.

Georgia said Moscow's recognition of the regions as independent states amounted to the annexation of its territory.

Both regions celebrated Wednesday as the anniversary of their independence, with concerts and flower-laying ceremonies. Dozens drove through Tskhinvali, the capital of South Ossetia waving Russian and Ossetian flags and honking their horns.

At a meeting in Moscow with South Ossetia's President Eduard Kokoity, Putin said he was unconcerned that only Nicaragua had followed Moscow's lead in recognizing their independence and warned that Russia would repel any new Georgian attack.

"Just because a large number of states have not recognized their independence doesn't harm them," Putin told reporters. "Russia's recognition was enough."

Putin hinted that, unlike Russia, most countries would not dare make such a decision.

"Not many members of the international community use their sovereignty in the full sense of the word and are under the influence of one superpower -- the United States -- and carry out its will," Putin said.

He said such a situation would change because "no one wants to be a vassal."

Moscow says its recognition was part of a bid to protect Russian citizens in the two provinces, which have been outside Tbilisi's control since separatist wars in the 1990s.

'NOTHING IS FORGIVEN'

The rest of the world, apart from Nicaragua, still views the regions as part of Georgia, though Moscow has put intense pressure on its allies to follow its lead in recognizing them.

Georgia called on the international community to stand firm.

"The international community should consistently continue its non-recognition policy and constantly send one very simple and uniform message to the Russian Federation -- nothing is forgotten and nothing is forgiven," Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Nalbandov told reporters in Tbilisi.

The anniversary was a public holiday in both Abkhazia and South Ossetia with concerts and fireworks planned.

"The 26th is a great day for Abkhazia -- independence day," said Roman Geriya, a resident of the Abkhazian capital Sukhumi. "Our ancestors have been fighting for it for centuries, and finally this day has come."

Russian gas export monopoly Gazprom opened a 160-km (100-mile) gas pipeline linking the territory with Russia to cut its dependence on fuel transported through Georgia, which it said had cost 15 billion rubles ($475.6 million).

General Nikolai Makarov, the chief of Russia's general staff, said Moscow would cap the number of troops in Abkhazia and South Ossetia at 1,700 each -- a sharp drop from 3,800 in each region promised earlier by Moscow.

Speaking during a visit to the Mongolian capital Ulan Bator, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said he did not regret making the decision.

"For our country this decision is irreversible," he said.

(Additional reporting by Denis Dyomkin in Ulan Bator, Conor Humphries in Moscow, Matt Robinson in Tbilisi; Writing by Conor Humphries; Editing by Richard Williams)