Another lesson from Kosovo. This plays into Russia's hands not because Russia has a free reign for a retaliation, but now Russia will more aggressively arm the separatists.

Russia overrunning Georgian positions and seizing land accomplishes nothing for Russia, because unless they occupy, they just have to give it back.

On the other hand, if you arm citizens and trigger a bloody guerrilla war, you can have a nasty ethnic fight and wash your hands of the whole affair at the same time. Once you turn two peoples against one another, you'll have a devil of a time putting the genie back in the bottle. That's what the Russians are counting on. Russian military force cannot achieve separation, in this instance. Only a bloody civil war can do that.

So, Russia renounces force, and the Georgian military does as well, and what's left? Guerrillas.