Ukraine calls on Russia to pull out its troops from Georgia

Statement of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry

Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to pull out its troops from the territory of Georgia. This is said in the statement of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine forwarded to UNIAN.

“Ukraine is anxious having received the information that the conflict in the South Ossetia (Georgia) has developed into a new phase with involving the military potential of the third party”, the document reads. "Unfortunately, the information from the site indicates that the Russian Federation, which had played a role of intermediary since a long time, is gradually becoming a side of the conflict. The Foreign Ministry of Ukraine believes that it may aggravate the situation even more, with broadening the conflict`s geography and turning it into a regional one with unpredictable consequences”.

“Ukraine calls on the Russian Federation, as permanent member of the UN Security Council, to pull out its troops from Georgia, to be reserved in its actions, and to exert the necessary influence upon the separatist regime of Tskhinvali in order to return to the bargaining table. A prerequisite of successful talks will be an immediate cease of fire, confirmation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia by the Russian side, devotion to principles of good neighborhood, refusal from strong-arm scenarios and peaceful settlement of conflicts, the statement reads.

Ukraine, expressing its deep concern about the situation in the conflict area, is considering ways to solve it through opportunities of mediation, good services, international organizations, and other countries. In its turn, Ukraine is ready to make its contribution into these efforts, the document reads.