FOLLOWING THE break away of Georgia’s two regions, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, whose independence has been recognised by Russia, the UK has sent its foreign secretary to the Ukraine for talks on forming a defensive coalition.
UK foreign secretary David Milliband was due to meet leaders in Kiev to discuss a coalition with the Ukraine after he asked Russia to “abide by international law” and to withdraw its troops to positions they held before the confrontation.
EU countries have stated that they are against the independence of the breakaway regions.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said: “We think it is against the territorial integrity of Georgia and we cannot accept it.”
Ukraine’s president, Victor Yushenko says it is a hostage in a war waged by Russia against states in the old Soviet bloc.
He added that the brief war between Georgia and Russia had exposed serious weaknesses in the powers of the UN and other international bodies.
Fighting between Russia and Georgia started on August 7, after the Georgian military tried to retake its Russian-backed breakaway province of South Ossetia by force.
Russian forces launched a counter-attack and the conflict ended with Georgian troops retreating from both South Ossetia and Abkhazia and an EU-brokered ceasefire.
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