No other dispute impedes the development of the whole Caucasus region as vehemently as the Georgian-Abkhazian conflict, going far beyond the clash of two extreme positions - self-determination v. territorial integrity. Addressing the roots of the conflict, the author offers a contextual analysis, steering the reader's attention to the soviet nationalities policies. They not only radically narrowed the room for maneuver for those involved in the conflict, but also acted as a catalyst of the cycles of ethnic mobilization in the late 1980s. The author puts the tragic events in Abkhazia under scrutiny, examining them from the legal point of view, and appraising the problematic role Russia has played in them. In particular, the author not only examines, but also advocates an increased role of the EU in addressing the conflict.