PRESIDENT Dmitry Medvedev said in Moscow yesterday that he had ordered an end to the ‘peace enforcement’ operation in Georgia, after five days of fighting.
‘I have made a decision to end the operation to force Georgian authorities to peace,’ Medvedev said at a meeting with the Defence Minister and General Staff chief.
The fighting had continued into Tuesday, with Russia bombing military targets in Georgia, and skirmishes reported along the border between Georgia and South Ossetia.
Russia drove Georgian troops out of the ruined capital of South Ossetia, Tskhinvali, on Sunday.
‘The operation has achieved its goal; security for peacekeepers and civilians has been restored. The aggressor was punished, suffering huge losses,’ Medvedev said.
However, he warned Russia would be ready to respond if Georgia attacks again.
A senior Russian military official said that Russia could withdraw part of its troops sent into the region to help peacekeepers if Tbilisi observes the ceasefire.
Colonel General Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy head of the General Staff, also said Georgian troops were currently retreating from South Ossetia. He said Georgia had about three infantry brigades, one artillery and three anti-tank brigades in the region yesterday.
Sergei Lavrov, speaking at a joint news conference with Finland’s foreign minister in Moscow, highlighted the severity of the crimes committed by Georgian forces in their attack on South Ossetia, and said Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili can no longer be considered a partner.
‘The best thing would be for him to resign,’ Lavrov said, while stressing that Russia has ‘no plans to force anyone from power’.
Russia says Georgian forces killed around 1,600 civilians in the onslaught, mainly Russian nationals, and forced over 34,000 residents to flee across the border into Russia, where they are now being housed in medical camps.
Sergei Lavrov reiterated Russia’s calls for an international war crimes trial for the Georgian leadership.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed yesterday Russia’s decision to halt its military operation in Georgia, and called on both countries’ troops to return to their pre-conflict positions.
President Dmitry Medvedev, opening talks with Sarkozy, said ‘We can discuss a final settlement to the situation, which will be possible on condition that Georgian troops pull back to their initial positions, with a partial demilitarisation of armed units and the second point – the signing of a relevant legally-binding ceasefire agreement.’
Sarkozy brought a settlement plan to Moscow drafted by the EU and OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe), which was reported to have been approved by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.
