Russia ignores West with 'insignificant' progress on withdrawal from Georgia

Published on Wednesday 20 August 2008 22:46

RUSSIAN military lorries trickled back into Russia from Georgia yesterday, but no armoured vehicles or artillery were seen and there was no sign of the large-scale rapid pull-out demanded by the West.

The White House said that it had observed initial signs of Russia withdrawing some of its forces from Georgia, but Moscow needed to move faster. Germany, a key trading partner of Russia, described the situation in Georgia as "very unsatisfactory".

A reporter at Verkhny Zaramag, on the border between Russia and Georgia's breakaway province of South Ossetia, said the only heavy armour heading into Russia was a column of Georgian equipment seized by Russian forces.

He saw eight armoured personnel carriers, followed by three T-72 battle tanks. The tanks had markings on their turrets in Latin script. Russian armour has Cyrillic markings.

"(The withdrawal] is not significant," Gordon Johndroe, a White House spokesman said.

"Both the size and pace of the withdrawal needs to increase sooner rather than later. I don't think they need any more additional time."

Dmitry Medvedev, the Russian president, said that Russia would withdraw its forces from Georgia by tomorrow.

However, diplomats claim Russia appears to have secured its military objectives and is in no hurry to give ground.