Opinion: McCain and Obama weigh in on move to war between Russia and Georgia
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Dire news out of the former Soviet Union this morning, with reports that Russia is sending tanks into South Ossetia after Georgia mounted an offensive to try to establish control over the breakaway region.
The coverage is being handled by our colleagues stationed in Russia, and you can track developments elsewhere on The Times site. But the escalation of hostilities plays into the presidential campaign, with both John McCain and Barack Obama issuing statements this morning.
Obama said he ‘strongly condemn[s] the outbreak of violence in Georgia’ and urged ‘an immediate end to armed conflict. Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.’
McCain went further, calling for international peacekeepers.
‘Today, news reports indicate that Russian military forces crossed an internationally recognized border into the sovereign territory of Georgia. Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. What is most critical now is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces. The consequences for Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave. ‘The government of Georgia has called for a cease-fire and for a resumption of direct talks on South Ossetia with international mediators. The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course. The U.S. should immediately work with the EU and the OSCE to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course it has chosen. We should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to assess Georgia’s security and review measures NATO can take to contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous situation. Finally, the international community needs to establish a truly independent and neutral peacekeeping force in South Ossetia.’
-- Scott Martelle
