Putin Assails US Over Conflict With Georgia
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
MOSCOW — Prime Minister Putin is criticizing America for airlifting Georgian troops from Iraq.
Putin said today that America’s move will hamper efforts to solve Russia’s conflict with Georgia over the breakaway province of South Ossetia. The U.S. military has begun flying 2,000 Georgian troops home from Iraq after Georgia recalled them.
The Russian-Georgian conflict blew up after a Georgian offensive to regain control of the breakaway province of South Ossetia.
Georgian troops fled South Ossetia yesterday, yielding to superior Russian firepower, and Georgian leaders pleaded for a cease-fire. Moscow responded that Georgia was not observing its cease-fire pledge.
