Russia slams French resolution urging Georgia peace

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Russia on Monday dismissed as unacceptable a French draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Georgia that was due to reach the U.N. Security Council soon, while Tbilisi said it faced a Russian invasion.

Speaking to reporters after the council's fifth emergency session on the Georgian conflict in as many days, French Deputy Ambassador Jean-Pierre Lacroix said the resolution was based on a three-point plan French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office revealed in Paris over the weekend.

He said the French plan called for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the former Soviet republic, withdrawal of Russian forces from Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia, respect for Georgian territorial integrity and access to victims in need of humanitarian aid.

"We had a favorable reaction from the Georgian side and we hope there will be an equally favorable ... reaction from the Russian side," Lacroix said after the two-hour meeting.

But Russia, a permanent council member with the power to veto any resolution, made clear the current draft was unacceptable to Moscow.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin said the draft was deficient in a number of areas. In particular, it contained "no reference to Georgian aggression or Georgian atrocities."

"I cannot see us accepting this draft of a resolution," he said, adding he hoped it would be revised to make it palatable to Moscow.

Russia accused Georgia of "ethnic cleansing" and "genocide" after the Georgian military launched an operation on Thursday to return the separatist region South Ossetia, a small pro-Moscow province, to the control of the Tbilisi government.

Georgia has in turn accused Russia of "ethnic cleansing" and says Moscow wants to "exterminate" the Georgian people and oust President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Churkin said the Russians were in the process of gathering evidence to support their accusations of genocide.

THE PRICE OF GOOD RELATIONS

Georgian envoy Irakli Alasania said he hoped the French resolution would be adopted by the council and accused Russia of trying to "subdue and crush a young democracy."

The United States originally wanted to condemn what it says was Russia's unwarranted "military assault" on Georgia, but diplomats said the French and other Europeans wanted to avoid language that was certain to provoke a Russian veto.

U.S. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad said he supported the French draft, even though it fails to condemn Moscow.

U.S. President George W. Bush said it was time for Russia to reverse its course in Georgia. Khalilzad was asked what would happen if Moscow ignored Bush's appeal.