Sarkozy warns Russia: withdraw from South Ossetia or face the consequences, page 1

Sarkozy warns Russia: withdraw from South Ossetia or face the consequences

www.guardian.co.uk

The French president, Nicholas Sarkozy, today warned Russia of "serious consequences" if it failed to honour its pledge to begin withdrawing its troops from the separatist-held Georgian region of South Ossetia tomorrow.

Sarkozy's warning was reiterated by the US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, as Russia came under intense international pressure to support the ceasefire it signed on Friday.

Sarkozy, who drafted the truce agreement in his role as EU president, warned the Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, that failure to pull out under a ceasefire deal would have "serious consequences" for Russia's ties with the EU.

(visit the link for the full news article)



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The article goes on to talk about the US hardline rhetoric.

From the west US and allies, this is starting to seem suspicious, It seems like they keep issuing repeated warnings to Russia to pull out,
etc.

If the Russians do pull out following threats like this, how does that make them look back home?

I do not think the Russians will pull out under threats like this, when it can appear as if they are responding to orders from Washington.

What if they really don't want Russia to pull out?

www.guardian.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by The_Alarmist2012

---

Yeah, that's got me wondering too. Russia signed the deal and there's a provision in there for them to make what security arrangement s they consider necessary before they pull out. It hasn't even been 24 hours yet and the West are jumping up an down like it's been a month.

Making demands now will only put the Russians in a position where they'll lose face at home if they do what they agreed to do (on their own terms) already.

reply to post by mythatsabigprobe

---

I absolutely agree.

They are pushing the issue too hard, if the Russians respond too quickly it means a bitter defeat for them, caving into orders and threats from the USA and allies.

It seems more of an act to provoke the Russians than to make them leave and honor the agreements.

Leaving after this latest warning would nearly appear as if they are bowing before the great George W Bush, supreme world leader!

Stuff like this isn't going to help matters:

U.S.' Gates dismisses Russian warnings to Poland

news.yahoo.com...

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pentagon chief Robert Gates dismissed as "empty rhetoric" on Sunday Russian warnings that Moscow would target Poland for a possible military strike because Warsaw agreed to host part of a U.S. missile shield.

"Russia is not going to launch nuclear missiles at anybody," Defense Secretary Gates said on ABC News' "This Week." "The Poles know that. We know it."

Col-General Anatoliy Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian general staff, told Interfax on Friday that Russian military doctrine would allow for a possible nuclear strike, after Warsaw agreed to deploy 10 interceptors at a site in Poland as part of the shield.

Maybe keeping the Russians preoccupied in Georgia/SO has certain advantages for the west?

Interesting, the original news source in the OP has another report on this topic, but it seems somewhat toned down:

Sarkozy threatens 'consequences' as Russia stalls on Georgia pullout

www.guardian.co.uk...

European leaders warned Russia today to withdraw forces rapidly from Georgia or face unspecified "consequences", as Moscow stalled on its pledges to honour a ceasefire and pull back thousands of troops from the Caucasus republic.

With the US and European governments due to meet on Tuesday to consider their options for the first time since the crisis erupted, the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, threatened the Kremlin with an ultimatum for the first time, warning that more delays to a pullout "would have serious consequences on relations between Russia and the European Union".

The French warning echoed similar statements from the Americans in recent days, none of which appear to have rattled the Russians, whose forces remain in firm control of large tracts of Georgia well beyond the two separatist enclaves of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

"People are going to begin to wonder if Russia can be trusted," Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said today of the Russian failure to keep its promises.

I wonder if they will remove the original report in favor of this one?

For now both are still available.

Originally posted by princeofpeace
Russia has responded and said they will pull out beginning mid day on Monday. We'll see if it actually happens.

They are now sending mixed signals on this, here is the latest:

Lawmaker hints at long stay in Georgia, despite cease-fire

www.cnn.com...

TBILISI, Georgia (CNN) -- Though Russia says it will begin pulling back its troops from Georgia on Monday, it's unclear how long the redeployment will take, and a Russian lawmaker has compared the situation to the U.S. presence in Iraq.

Russia President Dmitry Medvedev told French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sunday that Russia would start pulling back its forces from Georgia on Monday, his office said.

Sarkozy, who holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, brokered a cease-fire between Russia and Georgia.

Russian troops will begin withdrawing to a buffer zone and into the breakaway province of South Ossetia as stipulated by the cease-fire, Medvedev's office said.

Personally I believe the US and allies want to keep the Russians bogged down in the Georgian situation as long as possible, while trying to make it appear as if they are bowing to the west under pressure to pull out when they do. Leaving them in a way embarrassed and somewhat defeated when they do leave... So that when the real conflict with Russia over the Polish missile defense shield erupts the west will be in a better position to demonize Russia and claim a higher moral ground somehow. In the court of world opinion sometimes events like this have clear objectives amid the hidden agendas.

The Polish missile defense shield will be a powder-keg compared to the firecracker that was Georgia.

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge

---

Absolutely. You know what's also quite dangerous? Robert Gates basically saying: "Meh, nah... they're all talk, those Russians."

Really, Robert?

Just you wait and see.

reply to post by chips

---

Actually the words he used were "empty rhetoric" which is both a direct insult and clear provocation to Russian leaders and military commanders.

Simply put... an incredibly stupid and asinine thing to say.

Perhaps some will see the clear prodding and outright provocations going on here, the mystery is WHY?

reply to post by The_Alarmist2012

---

Indeed, and if those threats along with provocations are meant to incite the Russians what is the gain from it?

I do not know, of course. But i can't even think of any good reason why this mess evolved the way it did.
Why Saakashvilli choose to attack? Even if one accepts provocations and ethnic issues taking place, Saakashvilli must have understand what it will cost Georgia ,or him personally even if he does not care for his country.
Why Russia answered in such a brutal and dishonest manner? Why they kept this area unstable for so long? Small gains - Abkhazia, s. Osetia or even puppet Georgia if the plan worked are worthy worsening relationships with almost all its neighbors and EU/US? Worthy of possible cold war? Worthy of US missile shield in Ukraine?
And why now EU and US are so harsh in what they say? It does not help with anything. Sweet-talking and saying that Russia deserves better treatment and influence while sending observers or even peacekeepers to the area will make Russian leader look strong to his public and Georgia feel protected.
And all along the way wrong choices are made and effort goes into wrong channels. I cannot understand it. I accept the presence of "big political chess" game in which few moves might seem illogical but the complete combination could be what really matters. But those few moves forward i can read are very worrying. I do not want anyone to be on a pawn's side while those big combinations take place. Also taking into consideration that number of nations now posses the ability to quickly end this game ,if their position will be extremely threatened , for a very long time with one red button is not calming.
I do not think that ww3 is to be in the near future, but it could be ugly enough even without it.

reply to post by ZeroKnowledge

---

Like you said, it may not be WWIII, but something will come of this, the Russians have been insulted and provoked, the firing line will be at or near the Polish border, the final catalyst, the US/European missile defense shield. IMO

It's like watching two schoolyard bullies compete over little guys to beat up and push around, until the inevitable happens, when the two bullies square off with each other after school for a fight for supremacy.

This however is far more dangerous, these bullies have major weaponry... they are insulting and threatening each other, and in time something will happen...

Now from the AP:

www.washingtontimes.com...

"We will also have to determine if Russia's intervention against its Georgian neighbor was a brutal and excessive response," he said.

Western pressure has been increasing on Moscow to withdraw its forces under the cease-fire deal over South Ossetia, one of Georgia's two separatist provinces.

The U.S. and France have accused Russia of defying the truce, as Russian tanks and troops continued to roam freely across a wide swath of Georgian territory.

So, now the Russians are war criminals, and perhaps they will push that issue too?

This is getting kinda thick... and a bit scary.

I wonder how far they can push the Russians without a future threat of serious confrontations.

The US was also accused of war crimes, nothing ever came of that... The US invaded a sovereign nation based on fabricated intelligence, and it resulted in the deaths of thousands of civilians and combatants.. and devastating destruction.

Who has the high moral ground here?

Is that why the Bush administration is using France to threaten Russia by proxy?

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