Georgian government says Russia is expanding its presence in Gori
Negotiations for the Russian forces to withdraw from the city end abruptly in a tense standoff.
OUTSIDE GORI, Georgia -- The Georgian government accused Russia of expanding rather than reducing its military presence in this key city as Russian tanks and Georgian troops confronted each other in a tense standoff outside of this town and explosions erupted on the hillsides.
The Georgian foreign ministry in the capital Tbilisi also said the Russians had reentered Poti, a port city on the country's Black Sea port. And news agencies reported continued Russian maneuvers in western Georgia.
In Moscow, Russian officials heated up the rhetoric vowing to support South Ossetian and Abkhazian rebels fighting the staunchly pro-U.S. Georgian government for independence. "We will support any decisions taken by the peoples of South Ossetia and Abkhazia . . . and not only do we support (them) but we will guarantee them both in the Caucasus and throughout the world," Russian president Dmitry Medvedev said, according to the Interfax news agency.
The Russian president met with the leaders of the two separatist enclaves.
In comments sure to anger Georgians, foreign minister Sergei Lavrov also told reporters, "One can forget about any talk about Georgia's territorial integrity."
This morning, the week-long conflict that began after clashes erupted between Georgian and Russian-backed troops and militias in the disputed breakaway region of South Ossetia appeared to be heading toward calm. Russia and Georgia had agreed to terms of a peace deal that called on both sides to return troops to positions before the fighting, which each side blames the other for igniting.
Russian soldiers this morning began taking steps to withdraw from Gori, which they had occupied Wednesday, as Georgian police and soldiers prepared to move in.
But suddenly the negotiations appeared to stop. Georgian police vehicles sped out of Gori toward Tbilisi and Georgian soldiers chatting amicably with their Russian counterparts at a checkpoint boarded their vehicles and sped away.
Less than 20 minutes later, a convoy of late-model pick-up trucks filled with well-equipped Georgian troops cocking their M-16s sped toward the Russian-controlled checkpoint on the city's outskirts.
The Russians aimed their weapons at the Georgians and took up positions blocking the road.
With dozens of international news organizations watching, at least six tanks suddenly emerged speeding from Gori, barrels lowered and pointed at the Georgians.
