Russia withdraws troops, sends warning

Russia began pulling back troops from Georgia on Monday, RIA Novosti reported. The move comes in accordance with a plan to resolve the South Ossetia conflict drawn up by the Russian and French presidents, a senior military official said. Russia withdraws troops, sends warning "Today, in line with the peace plan, we have begun the pullback of Russian peacekeepers and their reinforcements," said Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the French-brokered peace plan in Moscow on Saturday, the day after his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili signed it in Tbilisi. "Favorable conditions have been created to start the pullback of troops to designated areas. However, we are aware that Georgia is capable of provocation at any moment against both our troops and civilians," Nogovitsyn said. He added that Russian peacekeepers had put out patrols all along the border between South Ossetia and Georgia and that a reinforced peacekeeping unit was taking security measures for the sake of South Ossetians. Russian armored vehicles started to withdraw from the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali toward the Russian Republic of North Ossetia earlier Monday. Meanwhile in the city of Kursk, Medvedev promised a tough response to any aggression against Russian nationals, saying his country was "perfectly capable of doing so". "If anyone thinks they can get away with killing our citizens and officers, we will not allow this," Medvedev said. "Anyone who tries to do something of the kind will receive a crushing response, and we have all the capabilities for this - economic, political and military." Georgia launched an offensive to restore control over its separatist republic of South Ossetia on August 8. The majority of residents of South Ossetia hold Russian citizenship, and Moscow launched a massive operation to expel Georgian troops from the region and to reinforce its peacekeepers. "The act of aggression on the part of Georgia's authorities is unprecedented, it goes beyond understanding, when a country whose army has been equipped with another country uses its armed forces against civilians, against peacekeepers," the Russian president said. However, he said Russia was seeking respect, not escalation of the international developments. "We have always been a peace-loving nation. The Russian, Soviet state has never started a war. But even the most peace-loving state should have an effective army," Medvedev said. Earlier today, French Presidenr Nicolas Sarkozy warned Russia of “grave repercussions” in relations with the EU if it fails to act in line with the peace deal. In a telephone conversation with the French president, Medvedev highlighted “the necessity of the return of Georgian forces to their old positions.” Sarkozy told Medvedev that “on Monday, there must be a complete withdrawal of Russian forces as planned, and without delay,” read a statement from the Office of the French President. Officials at the Elysee Palace refused to give any more details as to the measures that the EU was able to take in the event of Russian failure to retreat. However, in an interview with daily Le Figaro, Sarkozy said that “if on Monday, Russia fails to speedily withdraw its forces, I will be forced to call an emergency session of the European Council to take a decision on further EU moves.” Sarkozy, whose country is currently chairing the EU presidency, brokered the six-point peace plan signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Medvedev. At talks at the Kremlin on August 12, Russia and France agreed on six principles for resolving the conflict in Georgia. These included non-application of force, a definite end to all military activities and guarantees of free access to humanitarian assistance, as well as an obligation for Georgian forces to return to their old positions, and for Russian troops to return to their pre-conflict positions. “The withdrawal of Russian forces is something that cannot be discussed further, but must be carried out forthwith and without delay,” Sarkozy told Le Figaro. The French president said that “the international community will have to help find a long-term solution to the situation in the Caucusus.” “We have to decide if the Russian intervention against its neighbor Georgia was a brutal and excessive response to the conflict in that region,” he added. Sarkozy said that Russia would be “more respected in international circles if it offers a constructive contribution to resolving the problem, and, above all, if it withdraws its forces today.” During the interview, he declined to apportion blame for the conflict on one side or the other, but pointed out that “it remains to be seen whether the Russian intervention was hasty, and whether it was stronger than was really necessary,” reports the daily. Nicolas Sarkozy, Mikheil Saakashvili (Beta, archive)

Russia withdraws troops, sends warning

"Today, in line with the peace plan, we have begun the pullback of Russian peacekeepers and their reinforcements," said Col. Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the French-brokered peace plan in Moscow on Saturday, the day after his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili signed it in Tbilisi.

"Favorable conditions have been created to start the pullback of troops to designated areas. However, we are aware that Georgia is capable of provocation at any moment against both our troops and civilians," Nogovitsyn said.

He added that Russian peacekeepers had put out patrols all along the border between South Ossetia and Georgia and that a reinforced peacekeeping unit was taking security measures for the sake of South Ossetians.

Russian armored vehicles started to withdraw from the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali toward the Russian Republic of North Ossetia earlier Monday.

Meanwhile in the city of Kursk, Medvedev promised a tough response to any aggression against Russian nationals, saying his country was "perfectly capable of doing so".

"If anyone thinks they can get away with killing our citizens and officers, we will not allow this," Medvedev said.

"Anyone who tries to do something of the kind will receive a crushing response, and we have all the capabilities for this - economic, political and military."

Georgia launched an offensive to restore control over its separatist republic of South Ossetia on August 8. The majority of residents of South Ossetia hold Russian citizenship, and Moscow launched a massive operation to expel Georgian troops from the region and to reinforce its peacekeepers.

"The act of aggression on the part of Georgia's authorities is unprecedented, it goes beyond understanding, when a country whose army has been equipped with another country uses its armed forces against civilians, against peacekeepers," the Russian president said.

However, he said Russia was seeking respect, not escalation of the international developments.

"We have always been a peace-loving nation. The Russian, Soviet state has never started a war. But even the most peace-loving state should have an effective army," Medvedev said.

Earlier today, French Presidenr Nicolas Sarkozy warned Russia of “grave repercussions” in relations with the EU if it fails to act in line with the peace deal.

In a telephone conversation with the French president, Medvedev highlighted “the necessity of the return of Georgian forces to their old positions.”

Sarkozy told Medvedev that “on Monday, there must be a complete withdrawal of Russian forces as planned, and without delay,” read a statement from the Office of the French President.

Officials at the Elysee Palace refused to give any more details as to the measures that the EU was able to take in the event of Russian failure to retreat.

However, in an interview with daily Le Figaro, Sarkozy said that “if on Monday, Russia fails to speedily withdraw its forces, I will be forced to call an emergency session of the European Council to take a decision on further EU moves.”

Sarkozy, whose country is currently chairing the EU presidency, brokered the six-point peace plan signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili and Medvedev.

At talks at the Kremlin on August 12, Russia and France agreed on six principles for resolving the conflict in Georgia.

These included non-application of force, a definite end to all military activities and guarantees of free access to humanitarian assistance, as well as an obligation for Georgian forces to return to their old positions, and for Russian troops to return to their pre-conflict positions.

“The withdrawal of Russian forces is something that cannot be discussed further, but must be carried out forthwith and without delay,” Sarkozy told Le Figaro.

The French president said that “the international community will have to help find a long-term solution to the situation in the Caucusus.”

“We have to decide if the Russian intervention against its neighbor Georgia was a brutal and excessive response to the conflict in that region,” he added.

Sarkozy said that Russia would be “more respected in international circles if it offers a constructive contribution to resolving the problem, and, above all, if it withdraws its forces today.”

During the interview, he declined to apportion blame for the conflict on one side or the other, but pointed out that “it remains to be seen whether the Russian intervention was hasty, and whether it was stronger than was really necessary,” reports the daily.