Here's how George Bush stopped Putin in Georgia:
He started out by talking to him face to face in Beijing and letting him know, man to man, that it was not going to go as Putin imagined.
Bush faces down Putin at Beijing Olympics over Georgia
We had military advisors already on the ground there. Bush immediately expedited the return of 2,000 members of Georgia's 31st Light Infantry Battalion who had been fighting beside US Marines in Afghanistan.
He then sent in more US personnel and material on C-130s and C-17s...direct to Tiblisi and immediately (which is what we should be doing right now to Kiev). When those US C-17s and C-130s went in, they had a lot of US personnel on them in addition to the supplies and material...and that was in addition to the military personnel we already had there.
Bush did not pull those out...he added more to it and made it clear to Putin that a push into and through Tiblisi was going to put the US Military in the line of fire and that Putin DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT.
In addition, in short order, three US warships and three NATO warships entered the Black Sea. Some brought supplies, others stood by and defended them. The three NATO warships and one of the US warships were top of the line surface combatants with two AEGIS vessels and two other guided-missile vessels.
Putin knew that Bush meant what he said. He had seen it already time and again over the seven years prior. He consiodered the cost of rolling over those US personnel and what the consequences would be, and he knew there would be very severe consequences with a heavy interest payment.
The following are all pictures from the events of the day, during the Georgian crisis, of us material, more advisors, equipment flowing in. Of US advisors already on the ground and training Georgian forces immediately prior to and during the crisis, and US and NATO warships all sent into the Black Sea during the crisis.
US C-130 Aircraft being off loaded at Tiblisi
US C-17 Aircraft being off loaded at Tiblisi
US C-17 Aircraft departing Ramstein for Tiblisi
US Advisor congratualting Georgian soldiers
US Advisors training Georgian soldiers
US Advisors training Georgian soldiers
US Advisors training Georgian soldiers
US General congratualting Georgian soldiers
Georgian soldiers returning from Afghanistan
Georgian soldiers being blessed by Orthodox Georgian Priest on returning from Afghanistan
US Naval personnel offloading material
US Coast Guard Cutter arrives and cosk at Georgian Port
US Coast Guard Cutter entering the Black Sea
US Navy Command Ship enters the Black Sea
US Navy AEGIS Destroyer enters the Black Sea
Spanish AEGIS Destroyer enters the Black Sea
German Guided-missile Destroyer enters the Black Sea
Polish Guided-missile Frigate enters the Black Sea
Bush drew a stark line in the sand...and he did it with the US military even as the Russian forces were nearing the capitol...and Putin paused, and then stopped, and negotiated.
Now THAT'S how you deter a man like Putin. Stop talking and start acting.