Russia Demands Territories in Peace Proposal

Moscow tells Georgia to leave Abkhazia and South Ossetia
By Dustin Lushing,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 12, 2008 4:50 PM CDT
Russia Demands Territories in Peace Proposal
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, right, and French President Nicholas Sarkozy seen at a joint news conference in the Kremlin in Moscow on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2008.    (AP Photo)

Russia is demanding that Georgia give up the breakaway regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in exchange for peace, the Telegraph reports. Moscow wants Georgia to permanently remove all its troops from the regions and sign a pledge never to use force there again. The demands emerged after a day of heavy negotiating led by Nicolas Sarkozy.

"The night is young. We are not at peace yet but we are at a stage of temporary cessation of hostilities, which is certainly significant," said the French and EU president. Though Mikheil Saakashvili has vowed that his country will not be "broken to pieces," the Georgian president may have little choice but to agree to the concessions. (More Georgia stories.)

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