Russia Keeps Troops in Poti

Withdrawal follows terms of EU-backed deal

(NEWSER) - Russia is withdrawing troops and vehicles from the Georgian port of Poti and other undisputed areas of the country in accordance with an EU-brokered ceasefire plan, the BBC reports. Trucks left Russian bases established in August, headed toward the breakaway Abkhazia region; troops are likely to remain there and in South Ossetia, another separatist area. More»

(NEWSER) - Russian troops took control of the key Georgian port of Poti for about 4 hours today, just one day after it pledged to withdraw from the country, the Wall Street Journal reports. Some 70 Russian troops entered the Black Sea port this morning and detained 20 Georgian coast guard members before returning to their base in the town of Senaki. The Georgian soldiers were taken away on top of APCs, handcuffed and blindfolded. The port, a keystone of the area’s economy, has been forced to shut down, at least temporarily. More»

Nation withdraws embassy staff from 'aggressor nation'

(NEWSER) - Georgia pulled its diplomats from Moscow today, charging that it cannot engage in diplomacy with an “aggressor country,” the AP reports. A spokesman for Russia’s Foreign Ministry said the Georgians’ cutting of diplomatic ties would not benefit relations between the two countries. Russian troops remain in Georgia, both in the breakaway republics and the “buffer zone” in the country proper. More»

'Peacekeeping' posts appear likely to remain on Georgian soil

(NEWSER) - Having withdrawn from the Georgian city of Gori, Russia said tonight it is in full compliance with a cease-fire agreement, the New York Times reports. Despite criticism from the US and France, nations that helped broker the deal, Moscow continues to occupy the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, plus perimeter posts on Georgian soil—installations it says are permanent and part of a “peacekeeping” mission. More»

Moscow refuses call to withdraw troops to pre-conflict lines

(NEWSER) - Russia has rejected a draft Security Council resolution seeking to end the violence in Georgia, reports the BBC, by rejecting the UN body's call to return to its pre-conflict positions. Russia, which wants to keep its troops inside South Ossetia, said that the clause contradicts last week's ceasefire. Moscow holds a permanent veto. More»