Russia orders end to military action in Georgia

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev today appeared to order a halt to military action in Georgia.

He said Russian forces had punished Georgia and restored security for civilians and Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia.

But he ordered troops to defend themselves and quash any aggressive action and armed resistance from Georgian forces.

``The security of our peacekeepers and civilians has been restored,'' Mr Medvedev said on national TV. ``The aggressor has been punished and suffered very significant losses. Its military has been disorganised.''

But he told the military: “If there are any emerging hotbeds of resistance or any aggressive actions, you should take steps to destroy them.”

Russia’s foreign minister, meanwhile, said that Georgia’s president must leave office and Georgian troops should stay out of South Ossetia permanently.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow will not talk to President Mikhail Saakashvili and Saakashvili “better go”.

Hours before Mr Medvedev’s announcement, Russian forces bombed the town of Gori and launched an offensive in the only part of Abkhazia still under Georgian control, tightening the assault on the beleaguered nation as French President Nicolas Sarkozy flew to Moscow carrying Western demands that Russia pull back.

The UN and Nato called meetings to deal with a conflict that blew up in South Ossetia last week and quickly developed into an East-West crisis that raised fears in the former Soviet bloc nations of Eastern Europe. Five European presidents were headed to Russia and Georgia to mediate.