| Press Statement Robert Wood, Acting Deputy Spokesman Washington, DC August 8, 2008 Russian Actions in Georgia
Deputy Secretary of State John D. Negroponte summoned Russian Charge d’Affaires Darchiyev today to press Moscow to cease military operations in Georgia. The Deputy Secretary said that we deplore today’s Russian attacks by strategic bombers and missiles, which are threatening civilian lives. These attacks mark a dangerous and disproportionate escalation of tension, as they occur across Georgia in regions far from the zone of conflict in South Ossetia. The United States calls for an end to these bombings, an immediate ceasefire, withdrawal of Russian ground combat forces from Georgia, and return by all parties to the status quo of August 6. We underscore the international community’s support for Georgia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, as articulated in numerous U.N. Security Council resolutions, including most recently UNSCR 1808 in April 2008. |
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