Blunderer in chief? Saakashvili’s future remains in doubt, as many are starting to criticize the Georgian president for provoking a war that his country had no chance of winning. Saakashvili came to power in 2003 vowing to reclaim the separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, and hoping to steer Georgia toward NATO membership. He appears to have failed at all three.

Many opposition leaders in Georgia, initially hesitant to criticize the president, are now growing incensed, arguing that Saakashvili walked right into a Russian trap and gambled on military support from the United States and European powers that he should have never expected. Once considered one of the world’s most promising young leaders, Saakashvili’s fall from grace has been rapid and tragic, and the consequences for his country are likely just beginning.