Georgia crisis: Nicolas Sarkozy hails breakthrough in talks with Russia

Telegraph

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, has hailed a "momentous" breakthrough after securing a pledge from Russia to withdraw its troops from undisputed Georgian territory within a month.
Although the Kremlin has repeatedly appeared to flout the terms of an earlier ceasefire deal brokered by Mr Sarkozy, the French leader said he was hopeful that this time Russia would keep its word. France is taking a lead role in talks as it currently holds the presidency of the European Union.
But even as Mr Sarkozy and his Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, were revealing the contents of the accord at a Tsarist hunting lodge outside Moscow, Georgia claimed that Russia had deployed additional troops around key towns over the past two days.
The French leader defended himself against criticism that he and other European leaders had been too placatory towards Moscow, saying the original ceasefire deal he brokered on Aug 12 should serve as an example for conflict resolution around the world.
"There is no longer any conflict and the weapons are silent," he said. "If all conflicts could embark on resolutions such as this, we would all be in a better position." Yet yesterday's deal is likely to draw fresh criticism that the European Union has shifted the goalposts to suit Moscow. In the immediate aftermath of last month's five-day war, the West was united in demanding that Russia pull its troops back to pre-conflict positions immediately.
Instead, Russia has bought itself more time. Mr Sarkozy also signaled that the EU would immediately renew talks on a new partnership deal with Moscow as soon as the withdrawal was complete - even if Russia does not rescind its unilateral recognition of independence for South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway republics at the heart of the Georgian conflict. The US has warned that a failure to sanction Russia for that recognition risks legitimising the fact that Moscow has effectively redrawn the borders of a neigbouring state.
As expected, George W Bush, the US president, yesterday announced that a civilian nuclear pact with Russia had been suspended. While the move is largely symbolic, it is intended to show that there is no "business as usual" with Russia.
Russia meanwhile said it would send a heavily-armed nuclear cruiser to the Caribbean for joint-naval exercises with Venezuela - the first such manoeuvres since the Cold War. The exercises appear to be a direct response to the deployment of US warships in the Black Sea, ostensibly to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia. The mission ended yesterday.
Under the new Sarkozy-Medvedev agreement, intended to clarify a six-point peace accord signed in August, Russian troops will withdraw from the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti and dismantle other checkpoints erected close to Abkhazia within seven days. Moscow has also agreed to pull its forces out of a self-declared buffer zone around Akhazia.
If Russia does fulfill its commitments, Mr Sarkozy is likely to claim that the European Union's cautious approach to the crisis in the Caucasus has been vindicated.
"If all happens as indicated, this will have proved a momentous moment," Mr Sarkozy told reporters.
Mr Medvedev predicted that European countries would recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia in time. Yet so far the Kremlin has been unable to persuade even its friends to back its policy in the Caucasus.
Belarus, its closest ally, yesterday deferred a decision on recognition with President Alexander Lukashenko also appearing to backtrack on an offer to allow Russia to station nuclear missiles on his territory.
Since being involved in a dispute over energy prices with Russia last year, Mr Lukashenko has pursued a contrarian foreign policy, alternately seeking to improve relations with the West before reconciling again with Moscow.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Russia agrees to pull troops out of Georgian territory
• US-Russia Nuclear Deal Shelved
• Russians 'agree Georgia deadline'
• Russia to keep troops in breakaway Georgia regions