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Russia halts operation in Georgia

(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-08-13 06:56

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered a halt to military operations in Georgia Tuesday, saying Moscow had achieved its objectives by punishing Tbilisi.

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Just before meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy for peace talks at the Kremlin, Medvedev issued instructions to Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov to "stop the operation to force Georgian authorities to peace".

"The aim of the operation has been achieved," Medvedev said in televized remarks. "... The aggressor has been punished and has suffered very considerable losses."

Close US ally Georgia entered conflict with Russia last week after launching an offensive to retake the pro-Russian region of South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgian rule in 1992. Moscow responded with a huge counter-offensive.

Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and France's President Nicolas Sarkozy meet in Moscow's Kremlin, August 12, 2008. [Agencies]

Russian markets rose on Medvedev's words, with the rouble strengthening and shares rallying strongly.

Georgian Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze said he wanted to see more evidence of a Russian ceasefire and would remain "prepared for everything" until Moscow signed a formal peace deal.

The news broke just before Sarkozy saw Medvedev at the Kremlin to discuss an international plan to halt the five-day-old war, which has rattled world oil markets and unnerved the West.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy (L) talks to his Georgian counterpart Mikheil Saakashvili during their meeting in Tbilisi, August 13, 2008.

"I think what you have confirmed here is good news," Sarkozy said. "A ceasefire now has to take shape. We must draw up a rapid calendar so that each side can go back to the positions of before the crisis."

Medvedev set two conditions for a full settlement of the conflict: Georgian troops had to return to their initial positions and be partly demilitarized, and a binding agreement had to be signed on the non-use of force.

It was not immediately clear whether Georgia would agree to these conditions.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov earlier said Moscow could not agree to a peace plan which included Georgians in a future peacekeeping force because they had attacked Russian colleagues during Tbilisi's push to recapture breakaway South Ossetia last week.

Lavrov denied Georgian and US claims that Moscow wanted to overthrow Saakashvili, though he added: "It would be better if he went".

In Georgia, a series of explosions in the town of Gori Tuesday killed at least five civilians, a correspondent said. An analysis of television footage suggested the blasts were caused by mortars, although it was not clear who fired.