Russia Sets Deadline for Pull Back
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At least 21 Georgian military policemen were arrested by the Russian forces in Poti, the Georgian officials said. Captured and blindfold Georgian servicemen are seen on this screenshot from CNN on the Russian armored vehicle. Also on August 19 Russian forces in Poti seized four Humvees, awaiting shipment back to the U.S. after being used in joint Georgia-US military exercises.
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Russia’s President, Dmitry Medvedev, told his French counterpart that Russia would pull back its troops from the territories deep inside Georgia by August 22, the Kremlin said on Tuesday evening.
The two presidents discussed process of implementation of a six-point ceasefire accord during the phone conversation, which was held upon the French side’s initiative, according to the Kremlin press release.
“[The Russian President noted] that after the checkpoints are installed and places of deployment [for the troops] established, a part of the peacekeeping forces will be pulled back to the temporary security zone by August 22,” the press release reads. “The remaining contingent that was used to reinforce the peacekeepers will be pulled back to the territory of South Ossetia and to Russia.”
No other details were reported.
President Saakashvili said that he had spoken with President Sarkozy after the latter talked with the Russian counterpart.
“He [Sarkozy] again, as he told me, urged Russian withdrawal from Georgia,” Saakashvili said while speaking at a joint news conference with British Foreign Secretary, David Miliband in Tbilisi, late on August 19.
Saakashvili has again repeated his allegations that Russia occupied Georgia to undermine his government and “to get rid” of Georgia’s independence.
“Russian has been after demise of the Georgian government; undermining and destructing the Georgian state; they want to strangle the government in Tbilisi; they want to demoralize my people and put it into panic and they want to not only get rid of the Georgian government, but to get rid of an overall idea of Georgia’s independence and freedom,” he said.
“One thing is clear for us: they will not prevail and they will not bring us to knees; the Georgian people are holding very well,” Saakashvili continued. “I can tell you that the Russian occupation of my country is unattainable and can not be sustained and I have to say that it is going to create problems for occupiers. The Georgian people have shown their best not to go for provocations.”
“Georgians are continuing resisting in a peaceful way and this peaceful resistance will continue and intensify. The only think I can promise to Russians is that Georgia will not fall and the civilian peaceful resistance will be stepped up and we will eventually create conditions that they have no other options than to leave.”
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