Today the Russian President Medvedev signed decrees to the effect that the Russian Federation recognizes South Ossetia’s and Abkhazia’s independence (a Kremlin translation of Medvedev’s televised address can be found here). With this the Russian President caused a further deterioration of the already strained relations with the West initially caused by the armed conflict in the two Georgian regions, Ossetia and Abkhazia. Without wanting to go into any details of the political consequences of today’s announcement of the Russian President, from a legal perspective the question arises what effect the recognition might have. First of all it should be underlined…