In a press conference this morning, Sarkozy said he wants to maintain good relations with Russia. Seems in diplomatic relations, you don't get very far when you paint a country as the sinister bully. The ultimate goal is to stop innocent citizens from being killed, which is always what happens when governments can't solve their problems.
It's usually the folks -- presidents and pundits and political types-- who sit on the sidelines and never have to be in the line of fire, who are prodding and provoking, acting mighty and making threats they can't act on.
AFP: French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Tuesday urged Russia to follow through on an order to end military operations in Georgia, as he met President Dmitry Medvedev on a high-stake peace mission.
"What you are saying is good news," Sarkozy said after Medvedev informed him that he had ordered an end to Moscow's massive military operation in the neighbouring ex-Soviet state.
"It is now necessary to consolidate the ceasefire," Sarkozy said at the meeting, at which Russian and French officials warmly greeted each other in the ornate surrounds of the Kremlin.
The French leader, who currently holds the European Union presidency, was leading Western diplomatic efforts to halt the Russian military campaign against Georgia, sparked last week when Georgian forces attacked a rebel region.
Sarkozy told Medvedev it was "normal" for Moscow to defend Russian-speaking people beyond its borders, but also that Georgia's territorial integrity had to be respected.
"It's perfectly normal that Russia would want to defend the interests both of Russians in Russia and Russophones outside Russia," Sarkozy said.
The problem in a nutshell:
Avaaz.org: Russia and Georgia have a long history of tensions, but the recent hostilities were sparked over a small region called South Ossetia, which is seeking separation from Georgia. For years South Ossetia has had de facto autonomy, but after clashes between Ossete militia and Georgian troops, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili ordered the army to occupy the small province. The Russian army immediately responded by driving the Georgian army out, bombing targets, attacking towns and taking control of large swathes of territory deep within Georgia.
More at BBC.
