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| Georgia awaits Russia withdrawal | Georgia awaits Russia withdrawal |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Russia is expected to begin withdrawing troops from Georgia, following a pledge by President Dmitry Medvedev. | Russia is expected to begin withdrawing troops from Georgia, following a pledge by President Dmitry Medvedev. |
| But Moscow has said it has the right to keep some troops as peacekeepers in a buffer zone around South Ossetia. | But Moscow has said it has the right to keep some troops as peacekeepers in a buffer zone around South Ossetia. |
| Mr Medvedev promised to abide by the terms of a ceasefire brokered to end a week of fighting in Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia. | Mr Medvedev promised to abide by the terms of a ceasefire brokered to end a week of fighting in Georgia and its breakaway province of South Ossetia. |
| The West has urged Moscow to pull out, and France said it would call a special EU summit if Russia did not comply. | The West has urged Moscow to pull out, and France said it would call a special EU summit if Russia did not comply. |
| Moscow - which has had peacekeepers in South Ossetia since 1992 - says it will only withdraw combat troops from Georgian territory once extra security measures are in place. | Moscow - which has had peacekeepers in South Ossetia since 1992 - says it will only withdraw combat troops from Georgian territory once extra security measures are in place. |
| Monitoring call | Monitoring call |
| Mr Medvedev made the withdrawal pledge on Sunday, in a telephone call to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered last week's ceasefire. | Mr Medvedev made the withdrawal pledge on Sunday, in a telephone call to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered last week's ceasefire. |
| See map of the region | See map of the region |
| But the Russian president did not clearly state that additional troops sent to Georgia during the conflict would return to Russia, suggesting some may retreat only as far as South Ossetia. | But the Russian president did not clearly state that additional troops sent to Georgia during the conflict would return to Russia, suggesting some may retreat only as far as South Ossetia. |
| The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Gori, reported on Monday that while there was much Russian troop movement, there was no sign yet of troops pulling out. | The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Gori, reported on Monday that while there was much Russian troop movement, there was no sign yet of troops pulling out. |
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| Russian troops are moving around inside Georgia but are not yet withdrawing | |
| Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili, who has taken a combative stance to Russia's actions so far, adopted a more conciliatory approach to Moscow's leadership in a televised speech on Monday. | Georgia's President Mikhail Saakashvili, who has taken a combative stance to Russia's actions so far, adopted a more conciliatory approach to Moscow's leadership in a televised speech on Monday. |
| "We demand the withdrawal of the [Russian] occupation forces without delay," he said. "Let's then start thinking, negotiating how can we prevent the definitive estrangement of our two countries." | "We demand the withdrawal of the [Russian] occupation forces without delay," he said. "Let's then start thinking, negotiating how can we prevent the definitive estrangement of our two countries." |
| Previously, Mr Saakashvili had launched repeated vehement verbal attacks on Moscow, accusing Russia of a string of human rights abuses inside Georgia, including "ethnic cleansing". | Previously, Mr Saakashvili had launched repeated vehement verbal attacks on Moscow, accusing Russia of a string of human rights abuses inside Georgia, including "ethnic cleansing". |
| Monday's speech represented a departure from that and was the first time he had called for direct negotiations with Moscow since the crisis began. | Monday's speech represented a departure from that and was the first time he had called for direct negotiations with Moscow since the crisis began. |
| "Let's resolve problems through civilised methods," he said. | "Let's resolve problems through civilised methods," he said. |
| Buffer zone | Buffer zone |
| If and when the withdrawal begins, there are likely to be many more discussions about the exact interpretation of the rather vague ceasefire deal - especially over just how far into Georgia Russian troops are allowed to remain, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Moscow. PEACE PLAN No more use of forceStop all military actions for goodFree access to humanitarian aidGeorgian troops return to their places of permanent deploymentRussian troops to return to pre-conflict positionsInternational talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia Day-by-day: Georgia-Russia crisisIn pictures: Russians in GeorgiaGeorgia left reeling | If and when the withdrawal begins, there are likely to be many more discussions about the exact interpretation of the rather vague ceasefire deal - especially over just how far into Georgia Russian troops are allowed to remain, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Moscow. PEACE PLAN No more use of forceStop all military actions for goodFree access to humanitarian aidGeorgian troops return to their places of permanent deploymentRussian troops to return to pre-conflict positionsInternational talks about security in South Ossetia and Abkhazia Day-by-day: Georgia-Russia crisisIn pictures: Russians in GeorgiaGeorgia left reeling |
| A covering letter attached to the ceasefire apparently says Russia can place peacekeepers in a buffer zone of a few kilometres around the South Ossetian border, our correspondent says. | A covering letter attached to the ceasefire apparently says Russia can place peacekeepers in a buffer zone of a few kilometres around the South Ossetian border, our correspondent says. |
| Moscow has already started to say it plans to enforce a 1999 peacekeeping accord on South Ossetia, which would allow it to put Russian peacekeepers 14 kilometres into Georgia proper. | Moscow has already started to say it plans to enforce a 1999 peacekeeping accord on South Ossetia, which would allow it to put Russian peacekeepers 14 kilometres into Georgia proper. |
| Mr Saakashvili has called for international monitoring of the pullout. | Mr Saakashvili has called for international monitoring of the pullout. |
| And US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped Mr Medvedev would keep his word on the troop withdrawal pledge, warning that Russia's reputation as a potential partner was "in tatters". | And US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she hoped Mr Medvedev would keep his word on the troop withdrawal pledge, warning that Russia's reputation as a potential partner was "in tatters". |
| Mr Sarkozy said on Sunday there would be "serious consequences" in Moscow's relations with the European Union if Russia failed to honour its word. | Mr Sarkozy said on Sunday there would be "serious consequences" in Moscow's relations with the European Union if Russia failed to honour its word. |
| And in a separate opinion article published by Le Figaro newspaper on Monday, he said that if Russia did not "rapidly and totally" implement the pull-out as specified in the ceasefire, he would "call an extraordinary meeting of the council of the European Union". | And in a separate opinion article published by Le Figaro newspaper on Monday, he said that if Russia did not "rapidly and totally" implement the pull-out as specified in the ceasefire, he would "call an extraordinary meeting of the council of the European Union". |
| "This pull-out must be carried out without delay," he wrote. "In my mind, this point is not negotiable." | "This pull-out must be carried out without delay," he wrote. "In my mind, this point is not negotiable." |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel has travelled to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to express support for Mr Saakashvili, and urged a prompt Russian withdrawal. | German Chancellor Angela Merkel has travelled to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, to express support for Mr Saakashvili, and urged a prompt Russian withdrawal. |
| The UN puts the number of those displaced in the conflict at 160,000 | |
| As well as key towns such as Gori and Senaki, in the west, Russian troops also hold almost all of the main highway running east-west through Georgia. | As well as key towns such as Gori and Senaki, in the west, Russian troops also hold almost all of the main highway running east-west through Georgia. |
| There are reports of Russia moving SS-21 missile launchers near to South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, putting them within range of Tbilisi. | There are reports of Russia moving SS-21 missile launchers near to South Ossetia's capital, Tskhinvali, putting them within range of Tbilisi. |
| The conflict between Georgia and Russia erupted on 7 August, when Georgia launched an assault to retake South Ossetia, an enclave within Georgia controlled by pro-Russian separatists. There had been frequent exchanges of fire before the escalation. | The conflict between Georgia and Russia erupted on 7 August, when Georgia launched an assault to retake South Ossetia, an enclave within Georgia controlled by pro-Russian separatists. There had been frequent exchanges of fire before the escalation. |
| Georgia's operation triggered Russia's counter-offensive. The heavy fighting devastated towns and villages and forced nearly 160,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UNHCR. | Georgia's operation triggered Russia's counter-offensive. The heavy fighting devastated towns and villages and forced nearly 160,000 people to flee their homes, according to the UNHCR. |
| Nato ministers are expected to gather this week to discuss the crisis. The US is backing efforts by both Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance, and on Sunday Mrs Merkel offered her support to Tbilisi's bid. | Nato ministers are expected to gather this week to discuss the crisis. The US is backing efforts by both Georgia and Ukraine to join the alliance, and on Sunday Mrs Merkel offered her support to Tbilisi's bid. |
| Back to story | Back to story |