For now, he says the military had punished Georgia enough for its attack on the separatist province of South Ossetia.
Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has reportedly ordered an end to the war in Georgia. As late as yesterday, Georgia's president had been pleading for help from the international community. "we are in the process of an invasion, occupation and annihilation of an independent democratic country," said Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili.
Russian forces had seized at least four Georgian cities and towns, effectively cutting the country in-half. In the Georgian city of Gori, the Russian bombing continued up until the very end.
The dispute began over the separatist province of South Ossetia, which is part of Georgia, but was trying to break away last Friday. The confrontation quickly turned into a battle between a Russia trying to assert itself in the region and Georgia, a pro western democracy.
"Unless you send U.S. troops, NATO troops, you will not be able to remove Russian troops from South Ossetia," said Dimitrie Sims with the Nixon Center.
Even if there was little the U.S. could have done militarily, President Bush delivered a harsh message to Moscow Monday. "Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial sovereignty. Russia must reverse the course that it's on."
The Russian president said his country's actions have punished Georgia and restored security for civilians and Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia.
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