AP source: Georgia claims EU report blames Russia for ethnic cleansing during war last year

October 1st, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia's military Thursday warned of an increasing militarisation of its southern neighbour Georgia, in a warning coming a day after a European Union report blamed both countries for the brief but bitter war in the summer of 2008. Deputy chief of general staff Anatoly Nogovizin said that since the war, Georgia had boosted its military forces by 4,000 to a current level of 36,000.

September 30th, 2009 EU steps up Georgia patrols before war reportMOSCOW — On the eve of a European Union report on who started the Russia-Georgia war, EU monitors have stepped up their patrols in Georgia to try to keep tensions from boiling over into violence, an official said Tuesday. The August 2008 war ended with Russian soldiers driving Georgian forces out of the separatist regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

September 30th, 2009 EU report: Georgian attack started war with RussiaBRUSSELS — Georgia and Russia both claimed to find vindication in Wednesday's independent report on the causes of their 2008 war, but neither seemed likely to be able to take the moral high ground because of its blunt judgments. The EU-sponsored report supports Russia's insistence that Georgia launched the short but intense war with an indiscriminate rocket and artillery barrage on the separatist capital of South Ossetia — an act the commission said was not justifiable under international law.

September 20th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia intends to significantly upgrade marine patrols off the coast of Georgia's breakaway region of Abkhazia, the Russian news agency Interfax reported Sunday. The dispute over the status of Abkhazia and the other breakaway republic of South Ossetia led to war last summer between Russia and Georgia.

September 3rd, 2009 Russia warns Georgia against Abkhaz 'sea blockade'MOSCOW — A Russian official has warned Georgia that attempts to block ships from reaching a Moscow-aligned separatist region of Georgia could end in military intervention. Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko did not make any specific threats in televised comments Thursday but said that "attempts to install a sea blockade" on Abkhazia "could lead to a serious armed incident." Separatist authorities say Georgia has halted 23 ships in Black Sea waters near Abkhazia this year.

August 21st, 2009 US training could target RussiaTBILISI, Georgia — Georgia's defense minister said Friday that training the U.S. military is giving to the country's soldiers headed to Afghanistan involve skills that could be used in any new outbreak of fighting between Georgia and Russia.

August 8th, 2009 Medvedev gives medals, praises Sarkozy on GeorgiaVLADIKAVKAZ, Russia —Russian President Dmitry Medvedev promised Saturday that Russia would not withdraw its recognition of two breakaway Georgian regions, as he commemorated the start of last year's brief and bitter war against Georgia. Medvedev awarded medals to servicemen who fought in the war, in which Russian forces crushed those of its tiny neighbor.

August 8th, 2009 Medvedev: Defeat of Georgia showed Russian mightVLADIKAVKAZ, Russia —Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on Saturday hailed the Russian victory in a war with Georgia a year ago, saying it showed the nation's strength and boosted its role in the world. Medvedev vowed that Russia would not renege on its recognition of the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions after the brief and bitter war.

August 5th, 2009 Russia keeping US Humvees as war trophiesMOSCOW — A top Russian general says Russia has no intention of returning U.S. Humvees that Russian soldiers seized during the brief war with Georgia a year ago.

August 1st, 2009 South Ossetia claims Georgian mortar attackTBILISI, Georgia — Authorities in the separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia said Saturday that two mortar shells had fired into the territory from Georgia proper, and Russia quickly warned that it might retaliate. Georgia denied the claim and accused Russia and South Ossetia of provocation before the first anniversary of Georgia's short but fierce war with Russia last summer.

July 27th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Unarmed European Union (EU) ceasefire monitors will stay in Georgia until at least September 2010 in a bid to keep the peace between the country, its breakaway regions and Russia, EU foreign ministers agreed Monday. The 27-member bloc "has decided to extend the mandate of the EU Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) for another 12 months until Sep 14, 2010," read a joint statement approved at a meeting of EU foreign ministers here Monday.

July 24th, 2009 Medvedev: US need not abandon Ukraine or GeorgiaMOSCOW — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said U.S. efforts to mend relations with Moscow need not be made at the expense of Washington's ties to Ukraine and Georgia.

July 17th, 2009 Biden heads to Ukraine, GeorgiaWASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden's trip to Ukraine and Georgia was designed to build on the United States' relationship with the countries while not annoying Russia, his national security adviser said Friday. Biden plans speeches in Kiev and Tbilisi about the United States' friendships with those capitals next week, as well as private meetings with elected officials and opposition leaders, Tony Blinken said.

June 29th, 2009 Russia holds major war games in CaucasusMOSCOW — Thousands of troops, backed by hundreds of tanks, artillery and other heavy weaponry, began rumbling through the North Caucasus on Monday, as Russia began its largest military exercises since last year's war with Georgia. The Caucasus 2009 war games are being seen by many experts as a direct threat to nearby Georgia, where the government says it has rearmed armed forces and where NATO recently wrapped up its own exercises.

June 27th, 2009 CORFU - NATO and Russia agreed to relaunch formal cooperation on security threats Saturday, following their first top-level talks since the Georgia war soured relations last year. Gathering on the Greek island of Corfu, foreign ministers from the 28 NATO states and Russia agreed to relaunch formal cooperation on security issues ranging from counter-terrorism to piracy.