Bush Warns Moscow On Georgia
Bush Warns Moscow On Georgia
President Bush has said Moscow must honour its pledge to withdraw its troops from GeorgiaSpeaking at the White House, Mr Bush said the people of Georgia had cast their lot in with the free world and "the free world would not cast them aside".
He said contentious relations with America "were not in Russia's interests".
At the same time, Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev was telling a news conference that Russia was the only guarantee of security in the region.
And he said: "After what happened, it's unlikely Ossetians and Abkhazians will ever be able to live together with Georgia in one state."
At a joint news conference with Mr Medvedev, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said some of Russia's actions in Georgia had been "disproportionate" and the presence of Russian troops there was "not sensible".
Bush's Secretary of State is in the Georgian capital Tbilisi for talks to try to bring the conflict to an end.
Condoleezza Rice has been trying to persuade the Georgian president to sign the ceasefire deal brokered by French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The plan calls for the withdrawal of Moscow's forces but allows limited Russian peacekeeping patrols until outside observers arrive.
Moscow has already agreed in principle to the deal and the self-styled presidents of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have signed it.
Georgia's president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said he would need to "take a closer look" at the peace proposal before putting his signature to it.
He has accused Russia of a "deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing".
America has warned that Russia is in danger of hurting relations between the two countries "for years to come", following its military operation in Georgia.
But US defence secretary Robert Gates added that he did not see any prospect for the use of American military force in Georgia.
Despite ongoing activity in Georgia, Russia insisted it was sticking to the initial ceasefire agreement.
Russian officials said they had started to hand back the town of Gori but demanded that patrols should remain outside South Ossetia to protect their peacekeepers across the border.
Relief planes have continued to fly into Georgia's capital Tbilisi with supplies for the estimated 100,000 people displaced by the fighting.
US officials said their two planes carried cots, blankets, medicine and surgical supplies.
Russia suggested that America might have sent in military aid too, a claim which was rejected.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon warned that the fighting and lawlessness was keeping it from reaching large parts of Georgia
President Bush has said Moscow must honour its pledge to withdraw its troops from GeorgiaSpeaking at the White House, Mr Bush said the people of Georgia had cast their lot in with the free world and "the free world would not cast them aside".He said contentious relations with America "were not in Russia's interests".
At the same time, Russia's president Dmitry Medvedev was telling a news conference that Russia was the only guarantee of security in the region.
And he said: "After what happened, it's unlikely Ossetians and Abkhazians will ever be able to live together with Georgia in one state."
At a joint news conference with Mr Medvedev, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said some of Russia's actions in Georgia had been "disproportionate" and the presence of Russian troops there was "not sensible".
Bush's Secretary of State is in the Georgian capital Tbilisi for talks to try to bring the conflict to an end.
Condoleezza Rice has been trying to persuade the Georgian president to sign the ceasefire deal brokered by French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
The plan calls for the withdrawal of Moscow's forces but allows limited Russian peacekeeping patrols until outside observers arrive.
Moscow has already agreed in principle to the deal and the self-styled presidents of Georgia's breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia have signed it.
Georgia's president, Mikheil Saakashvili, said he would need to "take a closer look" at the peace proposal before putting his signature to it.
He has accused Russia of a "deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing".
America has warned that Russia is in danger of hurting relations between the two countries "for years to come", following its military operation in Georgia.
But US defence secretary Robert Gates added that he did not see any prospect for the use of American military force in Georgia.
Despite ongoing activity in Georgia, Russia insisted it was sticking to the initial ceasefire agreement.
Russian officials said they had started to hand back the town of Gori but demanded that patrols should remain outside South Ossetia to protect their peacekeepers across the border.
Relief planes have continued to fly into Georgia's capital Tbilisi with supplies for the estimated 100,000 people displaced by the fighting.
US officials said their two planes carried cots, blankets, medicine and surgical supplies.
Russia suggested that America might have sent in military aid too, a claim which was rejected.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon warned that the fighting and lawlessness was keeping it from reaching large parts of Georgia
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