The FINANCIAL — A U.S. navy warship delivered humanitarian aid on Sunday for victims of Georgia's brief war with Russia while Moscow ignored Western demands to pull its remaining troops from the Caucasus country's heartland.
According to Wall Street Journal, France called a summit of European Union leaders for next week to discuss the conflict in Georgia, reflecting growing frustration among Western leaders as Russia defies calls to withdraw all its troops from Georgian territory.
Russia said late August 22, it completed the pullback of its troops from Georgian territory to separatist regions that Moscow supports. But the Kremlin left hundreds of what it called "peacekeeping forces" at dug-in posts deep in Georgia, including near a vital port and transit corridor, as well as a military base. They are needed to avert further bloodshed and to protect Georgia's separatist, pro-Moscow provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia
But in a sign of simmering tensions, a fuel train exploded on Georgia's east-west rail line on August 24 near the central town of Gori after hitting a landmine.
Georgia's Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told Reuters the damaged rail link was vital to the economy of Georgia and its neighbours. Azeri officials said oil cargoes were being held up at the Georgian border following the explosion.
Bloomberg announces that at a checkpoint near the city of Khobi yesterday, Russian troops fired into the air to drive back Georgian protesters holding flags and chanting “Russians, go home,'' Georgian Interior Ministry spokesman Shota Utiashvili said, adding that there were no injuries.
Hundreds of Georgians gathered on August 23 at the Black Sea port of Poti to protest the Russian checkpoints set up by troops manning armored personnel carriers.
Guram Gakhua, a Georgian resident of Poti, expressed dismay at the Russian checkpoints.
“I can't believe this is happening, they have expanded control and now they want to control Georgia,'' Gakhua said. “This checkpoint was never here before.''
According to Bloomberg, on Aug. 25 a U.S. Navy destroyer carrying humanitarian aid arrived in a Georgian port.As the European Union stepped up diplomatic pressure on Russia by calling a summit to discuss future relations.
The USS McFaul docked at the Black Sea port of Batumi Aug. 25 with $13 million of supplies including bottled water, sleeping bags and baby food, said U.S. Embassy spokesman Stephen Guice.
U.S. and European leaders are growing increasingly concerned that Moscow's ultimate aim is to cripple Georgia's economy and the pro-Western government of Mikheil Saakashvili, Wall Street Journal reports.
Wall Street Journal announces that in a statement on 24 August’s night, the Élyseé Palace said the Sept. 1 summit is being held at the request of several European countries and will discuss the future relationship between Russia and the EU, as well as aid to Georgia. While the U.S. has been quick to criticize Russia's actions, Europe had been less categorical. The summit is among the strongest examples yet of Europe's anger.
"What's important here is that this isn't about the U.S. and Russia," said a senior U.S. administration official. "It's about everyone and Russia."
U.S. officials have said Moscow's pullback fell short of its obligations under a six-point cease-fire deal French President Nicolas Sarkozy brokered with his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, Aug. 12.
According to Wall Street Journal, the two presidents spoke again by phone on Aug. 23, focusing on the Russian forces still in Georgia, their offices said. But the official accounts of the conversation differed on the role of international monitors who are to be dispatched to Georgia soon. Mr. Sarkozy's office said the two presidents had agreed the international group would replace Russian forces. Hours later, the Kremlin issued a statement denying Moscow had made any commitment to remove its peacekeeping forces.
Last week, after a conversation with Mr. Medvedev, Mr. Sarkozy said Russia would face "serious consequences" if the troops weren't withdrawn as per the six-point plan. The president of France — which holds the rotating presidency of the EU — had said the first measure he would take in retaliation should the Russians not comply would be to call a special EU meeting. Later, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner warned that Russia could face a deterioration of relations with Europe, Moscow's largest trading partner, including ties involving energy, Russia's main export, Wall Street Journal reports.
Bloomberg reports that the Russia-Georgia conflict broke out on Aug. 7-8 when Georgian troops tried to retake South Ossetia. A Russian counter-offensive pushed into Georgia proper, crossing its main east-west highway and nearing an oil pipeline from Azerbaijan.
Russian troops also moved into Western Georgia from Abkhazia, another breakaway region on the Black Sea. Hundreds of people were killed, tens of thousands displaced and housing and infrastructure wrecked in the fighting.
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