Russia faced diplomatic isolation over its military action against Georgia yesterday, with its Asian allies failing to offer support and France saying EU leaders were considering imposing sanctions.
Moscow accused the West of heightening tensions with a naval build-up in the Black Sea and said talk of punishing Russia for recognizing the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions was the product of a “sick” and “confused” imagination.
The G7 rich nations condemned Moscow’s “continued occupation of Georgia” and a group of Asian allies led by China, meeting in the capital of Tajikistan, Dushanbe, failed to follow Russia’s lead on independence for two breakaway regions of Georgia.
On Tuesday, Moscow announced that it was recognizing South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia, as independent states.
EU SANCTIONS
France, the current EU president, has called a meeting of EU heads of government on Monday to discuss the Georgian crisis.
“Sanctions are being considered and many other means as well,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said in response to a question at a news conference.
“We are trying to elaborate a strong text that will show our determination not to accept [what is happening in Georgia],” he said. “Of course, there are also sanctions.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov dismissed such talk, saying that Kouchner had also suggested recently that Russia might soon attack Moldova, Ukraine and the Crimea.
“But that is a sick imagination, and probably that applies to sanctions as well. I think it is a demonstration of complete confusion,” Lavrov said in Dushanbe.
NAVAL BUILD-UP
As the diplomatic manoeuvring gathered pace, Moscow also expressed alarm at a naval build-up in the Black Sea, an area normally dominated by its southern fleet.
Two US warships are already off the coast of Georgia to show support for their ally and Washington has ordered the flagship of its Sixth Fleet, the sophisticated joint command ship Mount Whitney, to the area, saying it will deliver humanitarian supplies.
NATO said yesterday there was no build-up of ships in the Black Sea.
Russia’s navy has responded by sending the flagship of its Black Sea fleet, the guided missile cruiser Moskva, to the Abkhaz port of Sukhumi, less than 200km to the north of where the two US warships are sailing.
PRISONER RELEASES
Meanwhile, Russia turned over 12 Georgian soldiers yesterday.
The release along the Inguri River separating Abkhazia from Georgia proper was a small conciliatory gesture.
The soldiers, who were detained on Aug. 18 in the seaport of Poti, appeared unharmed and some were smiling.
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