US tells Russia to stop stalling on Georgia pull-out
(Adds details on U.N. activities)
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The United States urged Russia on Sunday to honor a pledge to start pulling troops out of Georgia, but officials voiced frustration that Moscow had broken earlier promises and skepticism it would keep them now.
Russia announced to the West on Sunday it would start pulling out its forces on Monday, after a war that dealt a humiliating blow to Washington's ally Georgia and raised fears for fuel supplies to Europe.
"I hope he intends to honor the pledge this time," Rice said of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on NBC's "Meet the Press."
She noted that several days ago Medvedev had said military operations would stop, but they did not. Medvedev also said that as soon as a ceasefire agreement was signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Russian troops would start withdrawing, but they didn't, Rice added.
"This time I hope he means it," she said. "The word of the Russian president needs to be upheld by his forces or people are going to begin to wonder if Russia can be trusted."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington would have to keep pressing Russia to leave Georgia, adding that Moscow's pullout partly depended on how fast the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could get monitors in.
"My own view is that the Russians will probably stall and perhaps take more time than anybody would like. I think we just need to keep the pressure and ensure that they abide by the agreement that they've signed and do so in a timely way," Gates said in an interview with CNN.
Months of tension between Georgia and its former Soviet master erupted on Aug. 7, when Tbilisi launched an assault to regain control of the Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia region.
Russia launched a massive counter-offensive, fanning out beyond South Ossetia into the Georgian heartland.
'SOONER OR LATER'
Rice on Friday went to Georgia to demand a Russian pullout and get Saakashvili's signature on the ceasefire agreement that had been negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Rice said on Sunday it was "unacceptable" that Russian forces were violating the ceasefire agreement, which she said does not permit them to go into urban centers or to tie up the east-west highway. Russian troops remained in the city of Gori, which commands approaches to South Ossetia and the highway.
A Russian parliamentary deputy told CNN Moscow would pull its forces out of Georgia "sooner or later" but that it depended on "how the Georgians ... behave."
Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, compared the situation to what U.S. officials say on how soon they will leave Iraq. "The answer would be as soon as we have guarantees for peace and security there," he said.
Rice and Gates both said Russia's behavior in Georgia had alarmed its other neighbors and had not changed NATO's offer of eventual membership to Tbilisi. "I would say that it's very much still on the table," Gates said on CNN.
They also repeated warnings that Moscow's actions had set back its efforts to be integrated into the global community. NATO foreign ministers are meeting this week in Belgium to discuss the alliance's reaction to the conflict.
"Russia will pay a price. We will look seriously with our allies and bilaterally at the consequences of this Russian action for Russian integration" into global institutions, Rice said on "Meet the Press."
Rice vowed the United States would rebuild Georgia, but said Russia's reputation might not be so easily rebuilt. The West did not need to hurry to take steps such as kicking Russia out of the Group of Eight nations club, she said. "We're not going to do anything hasty," Rice said on Fox News Sunday.
She said she would visit Warsaw later this week to sign a deal on missile defense with Poland that is opposed by Russia.
A U.S. official said the United States had been urging U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send senior U.N. refugee and human rights officials to the region even before the Security Council passes a resolution endorsing the ceasefire agreement.
Security Council diplomats discussed a proposed resolution over the weekend but by late Sunday had reached no agreement over wording, diplomats from several countries said.
(Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and Nancy Waitz, and Patrick Worsnip at the U.N.; Editing by Jackie Frank)
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) - The United States urged Russia on Sunday to honor a pledge to start pulling troops out of Georgia, but officials voiced frustration that Moscow had broken earlier promises and skepticism it would keep them now.
Russia announced to the West on Sunday it would start pulling out its forces on Monday, after a war that dealt a humiliating blow to Washington's ally Georgia and raised fears for fuel supplies to Europe.
"I hope he intends to honor the pledge this time," Rice said of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on NBC's "Meet the Press."
She noted that several days ago Medvedev had said military operations would stop, but they did not. Medvedev also said that as soon as a ceasefire agreement was signed by Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, Russian troops would start withdrawing, but they didn't, Rice added.
"This time I hope he means it," she said. "The word of the Russian president needs to be upheld by his forces or people are going to begin to wonder if Russia can be trusted."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Washington would have to keep pressing Russia to leave Georgia, adding that Moscow's pullout partly depended on how fast the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe could get monitors in.
"My own view is that the Russians will probably stall and perhaps take more time than anybody would like. I think we just need to keep the pressure and ensure that they abide by the agreement that they've signed and do so in a timely way," Gates said in an interview with CNN.
Months of tension between Georgia and its former Soviet master erupted on Aug. 7, when Tbilisi launched an assault to regain control of the Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia region.
Russia launched a massive counter-offensive, fanning out beyond South Ossetia into the Georgian heartland.
'SOONER OR LATER'
Rice on Friday went to Georgia to demand a Russian pullout and get Saakashvili's signature on the ceasefire agreement that had been negotiated by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Rice said on Sunday it was "unacceptable" that Russian forces were violating the ceasefire agreement, which she said does not permit them to go into urban centers or to tie up the east-west highway. Russian troops remained in the city of Gori, which commands approaches to South Ossetia and the highway.
A Russian parliamentary deputy told CNN Moscow would pull its forces out of Georgia "sooner or later" but that it depended on "how the Georgians ... behave."
Konstantin Kosachev, chairman of the foreign affairs committee, compared the situation to what U.S. officials say on how soon they will leave Iraq. "The answer would be as soon as we have guarantees for peace and security there," he said.
Rice and Gates both said Russia's behavior in Georgia had alarmed its other neighbors and had not changed NATO's offer of eventual membership to Tbilisi. "I would say that it's very much still on the table," Gates said on CNN.
They also repeated warnings that Moscow's actions had set back its efforts to be integrated into the global community. NATO foreign ministers are meeting this week in Belgium to discuss the alliance's reaction to the conflict.
"Russia will pay a price. We will look seriously with our allies and bilaterally at the consequences of this Russian action for Russian integration" into global institutions, Rice said on "Meet the Press."
Rice vowed the United States would rebuild Georgia, but said Russia's reputation might not be so easily rebuilt. The West did not need to hurry to take steps such as kicking Russia out of the Group of Eight nations club, she said. "We're not going to do anything hasty," Rice said on Fox News Sunday.
She said she would visit Warsaw later this week to sign a deal on missile defense with Poland that is opposed by Russia.
A U.S. official said the United States had been urging U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to send senior U.N. refugee and human rights officials to the region even before the Security Council passes a resolution endorsing the ceasefire agreement.
Security Council diplomats discussed a proposed resolution over the weekend but by late Sunday had reached no agreement over wording, diplomats from several countries said.
(Additional reporting by Diane Bartz and Nancy Waitz, and Patrick Worsnip at the U.N.; Editing by Jackie Frank)
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