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Cameron criticises 'bully' Russia UK warns of Russia 'catastrophe'
(1 day later)
David Cameron has branded Russia "a massive and dangerous bully" and urged the international community to stand up and condemn its action in Georgia. UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown says there is "no justification" for Russia's military action in Georgia.
He said the intervention "threatens the stability of the entire region and risks a humanitarian catastrophe".
"There is a clear responsibility on the Russian government to bring this conflict quickly to an end," he said.
Tory leader David Cameron branded Russia a "dangerous bully" and urged the international community to stand up and condemn its action in Georgia.
He also called for Georgia's membership of Nato to be "speeded up".He also called for Georgia's membership of Nato to be "speeded up".
The Tory leader told the BBC: "The only language that bullies understand is when someone stands up to them." Speedy resolution
British Foreign Office Minister Jim Murphy has described Russian military action against Georgia as "deplorable" and urged it to stop its attacks. Mr Cameron told the BBC: "The only language that bullies understand is when someone stands up to them."
He said Georgia had offered a ceasefire, but was finding it difficult to disengage from Russian forces in the breakaway South Ossetia region.
'Disproportionate force'
UK nationals have been advised not to travel to Georgia and those in the country have been urged to leave.UK nationals have been advised not to travel to Georgia and those in the country have been urged to leave.
As fighting over the disputed region of South Ossetia threatens to spread more widely, Mr Cameron argued that Britain should be working with its European and Nato partners to make clear that Russia's actions were "completely unacceptable". Continued aggression against Georgia - and especially an escalation of the conflict beyond South Ossetia - will only serve to damage Russia's international reputation Gordon BrownUK Prime Minister
"What Russia has done here is used massive and disproportionate force. It's breached international law and it has violated Georgia's territorial integrity," he said. As fighting over the disputed region of South Ossetia threatens to spread more widely, Mr Brown warned there was "an immediate and pressing need to end the fighting and disengage all military forces".
"It has acted as a massive and dangerous bully and we can't allow this to go ahead without it being challenged. He said the Georgian government had offered a ceasefire and he urged "the Russians to reciprocate without delay".
"I think Georgia should be able to join Nato and the timetable, if anything, should be accelerated. If Georgia was a member of Nato, then obviously we would have greater leverage over Georgia." "Continued aggression against Georgia - and especially an escalation of the conflict beyond South Ossetia - will only serve to damage Russia's international reputation and its relations with countries across the globe," he said.
Mr Cameron conceded that Georgia's decision to send troops into South Ossetia "was a bad strategy" but he warned that there were "very, very worrying consequences" if Europe did not speak with one voice that what Russia is doing "is wrong". Mr Brown has held discussions with France's President Nicolas Sarkozy and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in recent days.
Conference call Foreign Secretary David Miliband has also held talks with G7 and EU foreign ministers.
He said there could be implications for Baltic states that still identify with Russia. What Russia has done here is used massive and disproportionate force....It has acted as a massive and dangerous bully and we can't allow this to go ahead without it being challenged David CameronConservative leader
Russia is going way beyond these disputed territories and is in danger of destabilising further parts of the region if this type of activity continues Jim MurphyEurope Minister "We are committed to working with those partners in the EU, UN, OSCE [Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe] and G7 to ensure a peaceful and speedy resolution to this crisis which maintains Georgia's territorial and political integrity," Mr Brown added.
"If we just say: 'This is Russia's backyard, this is a country of which we know little - there's not really much we can do; the Georgians were asking for it'. If we take that sort of attitude then we will have more problems with Russia further down the line." Earlier, Mr Cameron warned that there were "very, very worrying consequences" if Europe failed to speak with one voice that what Russia is doing "is wrong".
Mr Murphy, the Europe foreign minister, said efforts were being made to stop the spread of violence in South Ossetia and Abkhazia "spilling over further into other countries". "What Russia has done here is used massive and disproportionate force. It's breached international law and it has violated Georgia's territorial integrity," he told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.
A ceasefire and talks about establishing a peace process were also being aimed for. "It has acted as a massive and dangerous bully and we can't allow this to go ahead without it being challenged."
A conference call between foreign ministers of the G7 group of most industrialised nations will take place on Monday afternoon "to maximise diplomatic pressure on Russia", he said. Mr Cameron conceded that Georgia's decision to send troops into South Ossetia "was a bad strategy", but he said there could be implications for Baltic states that still identify with Russia if nations fail to speak out.
Oil pipeline 'Unclear objectives'
"What we have is Russian aggression against targets on the edge of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital. We have the mobilising of at least part of the Russian Black Sea fleet off the coast of Georgia," he told the BBC News Channel. Amnesty International has called on Georgia and Russia to provide safe passage to people fleeing from the conflict and allow unimpeded access to humanitarian relief to those in affected areas.
"So it is deplorable Russian military aggression there that we have on the ground. The calls for an immediate ceasefire were echoed by the British ambassador to Georgia, Denis Keefe. who said the objective of the Russians was unclear.
"The British prime minister and British foreign secretary are working very hard in the international arena.... "They have gone well beyond the conflict zones which they used as the grounds for their action in the first place," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"Russia is going way beyond these disputed territories and is in danger of destabilising further parts of the region if this type of activity continues." "They have bombed in different areas in the country. They have sent their troops into different areas of the country.
Mr Murphy said he was reassured that an important energy transit route supplying the West "will be safe". "The result is a real and pressing need for a ceasefire to disengage military forces.
There was "a degree of confidence" over the key pipeline carrying oil west from the Caspian to European markets, he added. "I think the question of what the Russians are trying to achieve is impossible to answer from Tbilisi at the moment. What is clear here is that we need a ceasefire and we need it now."
Amnesty International has urged all sides in the hostilities to abstain from direct attacks on civilians and ensure they are protected.
It also called on Georgia and Russia to provide safe passage to people fleeing from the conflict and allow unimpeded access to humanitarian relief to those in affected areas.