Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Tuesday that Russia is ending its current military operations against Georgian forces because it has achieved its goals, according to Russian state TV. But Medvedev stopped short of saying Russia would withdraw its troops from Georgia.
"The goals of the operation have been achieved. The safety of our peacekeepers and the civilian population have been restored," he said during a meeting with Russia's defense minister, according to Russian news agency Interfax.
(This story and related background material will be available on The Wall Street Journal Web site, WSJ.com)
Russian military commander Anatoly Nogovitsyn, when asked at a briefing with reporters in Moscow whether Russia would withdraw troops from Georgia, he said that would depend on any cease-fire document signed between Russia and Georgia.
Nogovitsyn added that there should be some sort of international mediation effort to watch how both sides comply with a cease-fire agreement, if one is reached.
Medvedev appeared on state television to announce the halt of military operations a short time before French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at the Kremlin.
Sarkozy, who was preceded by some 30 journalists traveling with the Elysee Presidential Palace press corps from Paris, was headed to the Kremlin for talks and a lunch with his Russian counterpart. The two were expected to hold a press conference after their meeting.
Medvedev's announcement appeared timed to avoid the appearance that Russia was bending to the will of Sarkozy and the West. France currently holds the rotating Presidency of the European Union.