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| Putin fury at Georgia 'blackmail' | |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| President Vladimir Putin has warned Georgia not to use the "language of provocation and blackmail" against Russia in a speech in parliament. | President Vladimir Putin has warned Georgia not to use the "language of provocation and blackmail" against Russia in a speech in parliament. |
| He was speaking ahead of a Duma debate on a motion dubbing Georgia's policies "anti-Russian" and "anti-democratic". | He was speaking ahead of a Duma debate on a motion dubbing Georgia's policies "anti-Russian" and "anti-democratic". |
| Tension between the two countries has been increasing since Georgia detained and later released four Russian army officers accused of spying. | Tension between the two countries has been increasing since Georgia detained and later released four Russian army officers accused of spying. |
| Russia has imposed a travel and postal ban between the two countries. | Russia has imposed a travel and postal ban between the two countries. |
| "I would not advise anyone to talk to Russia in the language of provocation and blackmail," Mr Putin told the heads of parliamentary factions in the Duma. | |
| "I am talking about Georgia here," he added. | |
| I would not advise anyone to talk to Russia in the language of provocation and blackmail President Putin | |
| Moscow police raided Georgian businesses in the Russian capital, shutting a Georgian-owned casino and seizing half a million bottles of Georgian wine. | |
| Russian media say that the interior ministry has told the police to take tough actions against Georgian organisations and businesses. | |
| Troops withdrawal | |
| Defence minister Sergey Ivanov said Russia could speed up the withdrawal of its troops from Georgia because of the current tensions. | |
| "We will keep withdrawing our two Russian bases from Georgia in line with the schedule and even head of it. We understand the conditions our servicemen are living in," Mr Ivanov said, speaking in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek. | |
| In a deal signed last year, Russia pledged to withdraw its 3,000-4,000 troops from Georgia by the end of 2008. | |
| Further sanctions | |
| While Moscow is keeping the transport and postal ban on Georgia, Russian lawmakers threatened further retaliatory measures. | |
| One of the possible sanctions is the adoption of a bill that would prevent Georgians living in Russia from sending money home. | |
| According to some estimates, about one million of Georgia's 4.4 million population work in Russia and their families depend on the hundreds of millions of dollars sent home, the Associated Press agency reports. | |
| Russian sanctions could take 1.5% off Georgia's GDP this year, Georgia's minister for economic reforms, Kakha Bendukidze, told Reuters news agency. |