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Russian armored vehicles drive out of a tunnel, in Russia's North Ossetia, Monday while leaving Georgia's separatist-controlled territory of South Ossetia. Russia's parliament voted unanimously Monday to urge the president to recognize the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions, stoking further tension between Moscow and the small Caucasus nation's Western allies. After Georgia tried to reassert control of South Ossetia by force Aug. 7, Russian troops overwhelmed the Georgians, and for nearly two weeks occupied positions deep within Georgia.(AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

Georgia Conflict

Russia eyes separatist Georgian regions

By: Jim Heintz and Mansur Mirovalev

Posted: 8/26/08

TBILISI, Georgia - Russian lawmakers on Monday urged the Kremlin to recognize the independence of two separatist Georgian regions, heightening tensions with Georgia where the government said hundreds of Russian soldiers remained at checkpoints.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev did not immediately respond to the unanimous votes in both houses of Russia's parliament, but he has said Moscow would support whatever choice the people of Abkhazia and South Ossetia make about their future status.

Western countries warned Moscow that recognizing the breakaway regions of Georgia, an allied nation pressing for NATO membership, would prompt international denunciation. The U.S. said Russian recognition "would be unacceptable."

"Russia needs to respect the territorial integrity of Georgia," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.

But Medvedev signaled the criticism was of little concern to the Kremlin.

NATO needs Russia more than Russia needs NATO, Medvedev said, and it would be "nothing frightening" if the Western alliance were to sever all ties. NATO has suspended operations of the NATO-Russia Council over the Georgia crisis, which has broadened Europe's post-Cold War fault lines.

"We don't need an illusion of partnership, when they surround us by bases from all sides, they drag more and more states into the North Atlantic bloc and they tell us, 'Don't worry, everything's fine' - of course we don't like that,' " Medvedev said.

Russian tanks and troops poured into South Ossetia on Aug. 8 after Georgia launched a barrage against the breakaway region's capital then drove deep into Georgia proper.

The Russian forces pulled back Friday in what Moscow claims is fulfillment of a European Union-brokered cease-fire. However, Georgia and its Western allies say Russia has violated the cease-fire's call to pull back to prewar positions because it has set up posts adjacent to South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Georgian Security Council head Alexander Lomaia told The Associated Press on Monday that Russia has set up at least 14 positions in the security zones, apparently manned by hundreds of troops. "It's difficult to count them, but they say they are deploying at least 20 at each checkpoint and two or three heavy armored vehicles," he said.

Although Georgia bitterly opposes the security zones, the country's small military is unlikely to be able to push out the Russian soldiers.

Russia's huge armed forces quickly overwhelmed Georgia's, and President Mikhail Saakashvili has been accused of starting a war Georgia had no hope of winning.

Lomaia said Georgia will seek to force the Russians out by using "the force of law, not the law of force."

"We will focus on a concentrated international effort to help Georgia to get rid of the Russian forces," he said.

U.S. Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said Russia is "still failing to live up to and honor" the cease-fire accord. "There continues to be a large presence of Russian forces in Georgia," he said.

But how much the U.S. and Western Europe, which depends on Russia for oil and gas, are willing to force the issue remains unclear.