MOSCOW (AFP)--French President Nicolas Sarkozy said Tuesday it was "normal" for Moscow to defend Russian-speaking people beyond its borders, but added that Georgia's territorial integrity had to be respected.
"It's perfectly normal that Russia would want to defend the interests both of Russians in Russia and Russian speakers outside Russia," Sarkozy said.
"It is also normal for the international community to want to guarantee the integrity, sovereignty and independence of Georgia," the French leader said at a meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev aimed at securing peace in Georgia.