Caucusus: Ceasefire signed, Georgia claims bridge blown up
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Ed Mahmoud
Re: Caucuses war- Georgia: Russia has taken town of Gori
If Russia captures those pipelines, they will control not just the oil they produce, but control the oil produced in the former Soviet republics.
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Russian troops advance in Georgia
Russian forces have entered Georgia from the breakaway region of Abkhazia in an apparent broadening of the conflict over South Ossetia.
Moscow said troops had raided the town of Senaki to destroy a military base before leaving again.
Georgia said Russian troops had also pushed into Georgia from South Ossetia itself, approaching the town of Gori.
The US president strongly criticised Russia, saying it might be planning to depose the Georgian government.
Correspondents say it was some of the strongest US language about Russia in years.
"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people," George W Bush said in Washington.
"Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st Century."
But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Western states of turning a blind eye to alleged atrocities by Georgia's forces during their surprise offensive last week.
Fighting erupted last Thursday night when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia which, like Abkhazia, has had de facto independence since the early 1990s, with Russian backing.
Russia poured armour and troops into the region, ejecting the Georgians, and now appears to control many key bridges and roads across the country.
The UN Security Council in New York is discussing a draft resolution on an immediate ceasefire
And French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to hold talks in both Moscow and Georgia on Tuesday.
Speaking moments after he arrived back in the US from the Beijing Olympics, President Bush said he was deeply concerned about reports of Russian intentions.
He said he had seen reports that Russia might soon attack the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, which would, he said, represent a "dramatic and brutal escalation" of the conflict.
"Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.
"The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on."
Russia's actions, Mr Bush added, were "jeopardising" its relations with the US and EU.
He urged Moscow to accept an EU-brokered peace agreement that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has already signed.
This was the strongest statement yet from President Bush and appeared to be aimed at drawing a line in the sand, preventing Russia from overthrowing the Georgian government, the BBC's Justin Webb reports from Washington.
Speaking in Moscow, Mr Putin questioned the moral support "some" states were extending to Georgia's leaders, saying they were trying to "portray victims of aggression as aggressors".
The late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, he said, had been hanged for "destroying several Shia villages".
But Georgia's current leaders, he alleged, had "razed 10 Ossetian villages at once", killing civilians indiscriminately.
Russia's announcement of its raid on Senaki was the first confirmation that it had advanced beyond the borders of Abkhazia.
The Russian air force reportedly destroyed two Georgian helicopters at the town's air base and Georgia later confirmed that a local military base had been destroyed.
In the town of Zugdidi, closer to Abkhazia, Russian troops were seen taking control of police buildings.
Moscow has stressed it does not seek to occupy any Georgian territory.
In South Ossetia, Russian troops reported shooting down a Georgian Su-25 jet after it opened fire on positions near Tskhinvali on Monday.
Georgia reported dozens of Russian planes entering its airspace during the day and among targets hit were a radar base outside Tbilisi.
It says it has downed 18 Russian planes since Friday but Moscow has only confirmed the loss of four.
Initial Georgian reports that Russian forces had taken over Gori, a town close to South Ossetia which Georgia evacuated on Sunday, were later discounted by Georgia itself.
Russia's control over many key bridges and roads across Georgia has left Tbilisi isolated from much of the country, causing visible panic, the BBC's Natalia Antelava reports from the capital.
Residents have been queuing at petrol stations and in supermarkets.
The Red Cross has said it is "still too early" to say how many people have been killed or injured by the fighting.
But Dominik Stillhart, the organisation's deputy director of operations, did say that visits to several hospitals in Georgia and on Russian territory had confirmed that "we are dealing with a large number of wounded and dead".
In other developments:
• Georgia's foreign minister is due to meet Nato officials on Tuesday. Russia has also requested an emergency meeting with Nato, saying the organisation should hear Moscow's side before making any decisions
• The US and several European nations have begun to evacuate hundreds of their citizens from Georgia
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issue a joint statement saying that as "once-captive nations of Eastern Europe" they share a "deep concern" about Russia's actions towards Georgia
• The G7 group of developed countries issues a strongly-worded statement calling on Russia to accept the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement
Russian forces have entered Georgia from the breakaway region of Abkhazia in an apparent broadening of the conflict over South Ossetia.
Moscow said troops had raided the town of Senaki to destroy a military base before leaving again.
Georgia said Russian troops had also pushed into Georgia from South Ossetia itself, approaching the town of Gori.
The US president strongly criticised Russia, saying it might be planning to depose the Georgian government.
Correspondents say it was some of the strongest US language about Russia in years.
"Russia has invaded a sovereign neighbouring state and threatens a democratic government elected by its people," George W Bush said in Washington.
"Such an action is unacceptable in the 21st Century."
But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused Western states of turning a blind eye to alleged atrocities by Georgia's forces during their surprise offensive last week.
Fighting erupted last Thursday night when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia which, like Abkhazia, has had de facto independence since the early 1990s, with Russian backing.
Russia poured armour and troops into the region, ejecting the Georgians, and now appears to control many key bridges and roads across the country.
The UN Security Council in New York is discussing a draft resolution on an immediate ceasefire
And French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to hold talks in both Moscow and Georgia on Tuesday.
Speaking moments after he arrived back in the US from the Beijing Olympics, President Bush said he was deeply concerned about reports of Russian intentions.
He said he had seen reports that Russia might soon attack the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, which would, he said, represent a "dramatic and brutal escalation" of the conflict.
"Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.
"The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on."
Russia's actions, Mr Bush added, were "jeopardising" its relations with the US and EU.
He urged Moscow to accept an EU-brokered peace agreement that Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has already signed.
This was the strongest statement yet from President Bush and appeared to be aimed at drawing a line in the sand, preventing Russia from overthrowing the Georgian government, the BBC's Justin Webb reports from Washington.
Speaking in Moscow, Mr Putin questioned the moral support "some" states were extending to Georgia's leaders, saying they were trying to "portray victims of aggression as aggressors".
The late Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, he said, had been hanged for "destroying several Shia villages".
But Georgia's current leaders, he alleged, had "razed 10 Ossetian villages at once", killing civilians indiscriminately.
Russia's announcement of its raid on Senaki was the first confirmation that it had advanced beyond the borders of Abkhazia.
The Russian air force reportedly destroyed two Georgian helicopters at the town's air base and Georgia later confirmed that a local military base had been destroyed.
In the town of Zugdidi, closer to Abkhazia, Russian troops were seen taking control of police buildings.
Moscow has stressed it does not seek to occupy any Georgian territory.
In South Ossetia, Russian troops reported shooting down a Georgian Su-25 jet after it opened fire on positions near Tskhinvali on Monday.
Georgia reported dozens of Russian planes entering its airspace during the day and among targets hit were a radar base outside Tbilisi.
It says it has downed 18 Russian planes since Friday but Moscow has only confirmed the loss of four.
Initial Georgian reports that Russian forces had taken over Gori, a town close to South Ossetia which Georgia evacuated on Sunday, were later discounted by Georgia itself.
Russia's control over many key bridges and roads across Georgia has left Tbilisi isolated from much of the country, causing visible panic, the BBC's Natalia Antelava reports from the capital.
Residents have been queuing at petrol stations and in supermarkets.
The Red Cross has said it is "still too early" to say how many people have been killed or injured by the fighting.
But Dominik Stillhart, the organisation's deputy director of operations, did say that visits to several hospitals in Georgia and on Russian territory had confirmed that "we are dealing with a large number of wounded and dead".
In other developments:
• Georgia's foreign minister is due to meet Nato officials on Tuesday. Russia has also requested an emergency meeting with Nato, saying the organisation should hear Moscow's side before making any decisions
• The US and several European nations have begun to evacuate hundreds of their citizens from Georgia
• Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland issue a joint statement saying that as "once-captive nations of Eastern Europe" they share a "deep concern" about Russia's actions towards Georgia
• The G7 group of developed countries issues a strongly-worded statement calling on Russia to accept the EU-brokered ceasefire agreement
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HURAKAN
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Re:
ninel conde wrote:I think we need to stop putin now. He is spreading evil.
OK.
I will try not making it political but we have done the same. Intervening in other countries. Are we spreading evil? It depends on what side you are on.
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Diplomatic mood darkens in Georgia
By Nik Gowing
BBC News, Tbilisi
European diplomats and foreign ministers have conceded they will struggle to regain the initiative in the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
They talk in the darkest terms of a possible return to tensions the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II.
Several have even compared events to Nazi Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland.
In more than 25 years covering international diplomacy, I have rarely seen such gloom and head-shaking over the activities of one nation - Russia.
It is not just me saying that. It is those in government almost check-mated in the past few days - both by Georgia's military push into South Ossetia on Thursday night, then Russia's defiant response on Friday, which continues as I sit writing this in the Georgian foreign ministry.
After spending more than a day with several of them at a private gathering in northern Italy, none can answer with precision whether the warning signs of the decisive Russian response against Georgia were there to be read in the middle of last week.
"The Russian capability was obvious," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt as we descended in his Swedish air force jet out of Turkish airspace for a quick dash to Tbilisi's almost deserted airport.
"But capability never revealed intent - even after the many weeks of Russian manoeuvres in the Caucasus, just north of the Georgian border."
If any of the capital's airport had been bombed by Russian warplanes, there was no obvious sign.
A handful of military helicopters sat untouched on the grass. As we taxied in, we could see French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's jet alongside the old Soviet-style VIP terminal.
By the time we arrived, it had gone - for the French EU presidency's next dash to Moscow to broker a ceasefire agreement with Russia.
European diplomacy is not so co-ordinated that the foreign minister currently representing the EU's 27 members could wait a few more minutes to exchange impressions with the current chair of the European body representing the 47 nations in the Council of Europe.
Mr Bildt, a veteran of the diplomatic realities of the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, could only shrug in the fierce Georgian sun, look across to the French jet waiting to take off, then turn away for his own mission.
He already told me on the plane that the diplomatic challenge to restrain Russian intentions was "immense in every respect".
The widespread diplomatic concern in the EU and Nato is that after South Ossetia and probably Abkhazia, next Moscow will have its eyes set on the Crimea region of Ukraine and then Ukraine itself.
It is the first time in the Council of Europe's 60-year history that two member nations who have pledged to resolve disputes peacefully have instead resorted to war. Turkey's invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974 does not qualify.
Along with the Council of Europe's Secretary-General, Terri Davis, Mr Bildt is here to make an assessment ahead of an emergency EU meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
"This is unprecedented," said Mr Davis. "There is no international right to go into a country to protect the right of your citizens." South Ossetia is thought to have 70,000 Russian passport holders.
"It is against what Russia signed up to - to settle disputes by peaceful means."
I asked Mr Bildt whether it was too late before his first meeting with Georgia's foreign minister.
"Evidently, since the war is ongoing," he said, with Swedish understatement.
What should have happened?
"Perhaps to have acted more forcefully earlier and dealt with the activities that we saw," he added.
"There has been escalation over some time, over weeks and over months."
Mr Bildt and Mr Davis will have 36 hours here.
There is no programme, no list of appointments - just a determination to be well informed before difficult decisions have to be taken by the EU and Nato to underscore the warning of US Vice President Dick Cheney that Russian aggression "must not go unanswered".
By Nik Gowing
BBC News, Tbilisi
European diplomats and foreign ministers have conceded they will struggle to regain the initiative in the conflict between Russia and Georgia.
They talk in the darkest terms of a possible return to tensions the likes of which Europe has not seen since World War II.
Several have even compared events to Nazi Germany's annexation of the Sudetenland.
In more than 25 years covering international diplomacy, I have rarely seen such gloom and head-shaking over the activities of one nation - Russia.
It is not just me saying that. It is those in government almost check-mated in the past few days - both by Georgia's military push into South Ossetia on Thursday night, then Russia's defiant response on Friday, which continues as I sit writing this in the Georgian foreign ministry.
After spending more than a day with several of them at a private gathering in northern Italy, none can answer with precision whether the warning signs of the decisive Russian response against Georgia were there to be read in the middle of last week.
"The Russian capability was obvious," said Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt as we descended in his Swedish air force jet out of Turkish airspace for a quick dash to Tbilisi's almost deserted airport.
"But capability never revealed intent - even after the many weeks of Russian manoeuvres in the Caucasus, just north of the Georgian border."
If any of the capital's airport had been bombed by Russian warplanes, there was no obvious sign.
A handful of military helicopters sat untouched on the grass. As we taxied in, we could see French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner's jet alongside the old Soviet-style VIP terminal.
By the time we arrived, it had gone - for the French EU presidency's next dash to Moscow to broker a ceasefire agreement with Russia.
European diplomacy is not so co-ordinated that the foreign minister currently representing the EU's 27 members could wait a few more minutes to exchange impressions with the current chair of the European body representing the 47 nations in the Council of Europe.
Mr Bildt, a veteran of the diplomatic realities of the wars in Bosnia and Kosovo, could only shrug in the fierce Georgian sun, look across to the French jet waiting to take off, then turn away for his own mission.
He already told me on the plane that the diplomatic challenge to restrain Russian intentions was "immense in every respect".
The widespread diplomatic concern in the EU and Nato is that after South Ossetia and probably Abkhazia, next Moscow will have its eyes set on the Crimea region of Ukraine and then Ukraine itself.
It is the first time in the Council of Europe's 60-year history that two member nations who have pledged to resolve disputes peacefully have instead resorted to war. Turkey's invasion of northern Cyprus in 1974 does not qualify.
Along with the Council of Europe's Secretary-General, Terri Davis, Mr Bildt is here to make an assessment ahead of an emergency EU meeting in Brussels on Wednesday.
"This is unprecedented," said Mr Davis. "There is no international right to go into a country to protect the right of your citizens." South Ossetia is thought to have 70,000 Russian passport holders.
"It is against what Russia signed up to - to settle disputes by peaceful means."
I asked Mr Bildt whether it was too late before his first meeting with Georgia's foreign minister.
"Evidently, since the war is ongoing," he said, with Swedish understatement.
What should have happened?
"Perhaps to have acted more forcefully earlier and dealt with the activities that we saw," he added.
"There has been escalation over some time, over weeks and over months."
Mr Bildt and Mr Davis will have 36 hours here.
There is no programme, no list of appointments - just a determination to be well informed before difficult decisions have to be taken by the EU and Nato to underscore the warning of US Vice President Dick Cheney that Russian aggression "must not go unanswered".
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Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, who described Russia as a "barbaric aggressor" in a speech on Georgian TV, has accused Russia of "expelling" ethnic Georgians from both breakaway regions.
Speaking later to the BBC in Tbilisi, after a brief visit to the town of Gori near South Ossetia as it was being evacuated, he said Russia had been preparing to attack Georgia for months.
He said his country had been split in two.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7554507.stm
Speaking later to the BBC in Tbilisi, after a brief visit to the town of Gori near South Ossetia as it was being evacuated, he said Russia had been preparing to attack Georgia for months.
He said his country had been split in two.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7554507.stm
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New Georgia clashes mar UN moves
Russian-backed rebels in Abkhazia say they have begun an operation against Georgian forces, as UN moves to achieve a ceasefire failed to make progress.
The rebels say they are trying to push Georgian forces from a strategic gorge in the west of the breakaway province.
France's president is visiting Russia and Georgia on Tuesday, despite Russian criticism of a new draft UN resolution.
In Georgia, troops have withdrawn to positions around the capital, Tbilisi, to defend against any Russian assault.
Reports say that Russian troops now control many key bridges and roads across Georgia, leaving the capital isolated.
Many residents have been stocking up with food and fuel, and correspondents in Tbilisi say there have been clear signs of panic and confusion in the city.
US President George W Bush meanwhile has strongly attacked what he called Russia's "invasion".
Mr Bush said the Russian actions in Abkhazia and the other breakaway province of South Ossetia were "unacceptable in the 21st Century" and that Moscow was guilty of a "dramatic and brutal escalation".
The Russian-backed separatists' government in Abkhazia said its forces aimed to "squeeze" Georgian troops out of the upper part of the Kodori Gorge.
They launched their attack at 0600 local time (0200 GMT) and Russian TV has reported heavy gunfire and air strikes by what it says are Abkhaz planes.
There was no immediate confirmation of the offensive from the Georgian government.
Abkhazia, a much bigger province than South Ossetia, also broke away from Georgia during the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s.
Russian troops who arrived there in recent days launched raids into Georgia proper on Monday, destroying a military base in the town of Senaki and taking control of another town, Zugdidi.
Georgia has been withdrawing its troops and armour towards Tbilisi after four days of bloody fighting in South Ossetia with Russian troops and rebel fighters.
The Red Cross has said it is still too early to say how many people have been killed or injured by the fighting, which has created thousands of refugees on both sides.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently chairs the EU, is to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow before travelling to Georgia for talks with its president, Mikhail Saakashvili.
However, Russia's envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has already dismissed a three-point French peace plan put to the Security Council in a draft resolution.
Ambassador Churkin said the plan contained "no reference to Georgian aggression or Georgian atrocities".
"What we have seen happening in the past 24 hours is that the Georgian military activity in South Ossetia is continuing... We see continued general mobilisation of the Georgian forces," he said.
"I cannot see us accepting this French draft."
Moscow has called for an emergency meeting with Nato to discuss the conflict, which erupted after the Georgians launched a surprise attack on Thursday night to retake South Ossetia and Russia sent in its forces to eject them.
In his comments on Monday, President Bush strongly criticised Russia, suggesting it might be planning to depose the Georgian government.
"Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.
"The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on."
But Mr Bush stopped short of specifying any consequences if Russia failed to heed Western appeals for an end to the fighting.
Whatever the unease in many Western capitals at the rash thinking that led President Saakashvili to order his troops into South Ossetia, there is growing outrage, BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus reports.
Many believe that Moscow has gone too far, he says.
By moving beyond the territory of the separatist enclaves, Russia's forces are close to cutting key transport links between Tbilisi and Georgia's Black sea ports, raising concerns about its wider strategic goals.
President Sarkozy's diplomatic round on Tuesday is a tangible signal of European concern, our correspondent says.
In Moscow, he may have uncompromising words for President Dmitry Medvedev but in Tbilisi he is likely to be hailed in much the same way as former French President Francois Mitterrand was feted when he visited Sarajevo during the dark days of the siege in 1992, he adds.
But the harsh truth is that the West has relatively few diplomatic cards to play against a powerful neighbour which controls much of Europe's energy supplies, he says.
Russian-backed rebels in Abkhazia say they have begun an operation against Georgian forces, as UN moves to achieve a ceasefire failed to make progress.
The rebels say they are trying to push Georgian forces from a strategic gorge in the west of the breakaway province.
France's president is visiting Russia and Georgia on Tuesday, despite Russian criticism of a new draft UN resolution.
In Georgia, troops have withdrawn to positions around the capital, Tbilisi, to defend against any Russian assault.
Reports say that Russian troops now control many key bridges and roads across Georgia, leaving the capital isolated.
Many residents have been stocking up with food and fuel, and correspondents in Tbilisi say there have been clear signs of panic and confusion in the city.
US President George W Bush meanwhile has strongly attacked what he called Russia's "invasion".
Mr Bush said the Russian actions in Abkhazia and the other breakaway province of South Ossetia were "unacceptable in the 21st Century" and that Moscow was guilty of a "dramatic and brutal escalation".
The Russian-backed separatists' government in Abkhazia said its forces aimed to "squeeze" Georgian troops out of the upper part of the Kodori Gorge.
They launched their attack at 0600 local time (0200 GMT) and Russian TV has reported heavy gunfire and air strikes by what it says are Abkhaz planes.
There was no immediate confirmation of the offensive from the Georgian government.
Abkhazia, a much bigger province than South Ossetia, also broke away from Georgia during the collapse of the USSR in the early 1990s.
Russian troops who arrived there in recent days launched raids into Georgia proper on Monday, destroying a military base in the town of Senaki and taking control of another town, Zugdidi.
Georgia has been withdrawing its troops and armour towards Tbilisi after four days of bloody fighting in South Ossetia with Russian troops and rebel fighters.
The Red Cross has said it is still too early to say how many people have been killed or injured by the fighting, which has created thousands of refugees on both sides.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country currently chairs the EU, is to meet Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow before travelling to Georgia for talks with its president, Mikhail Saakashvili.
However, Russia's envoy to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, has already dismissed a three-point French peace plan put to the Security Council in a draft resolution.
Ambassador Churkin said the plan contained "no reference to Georgian aggression or Georgian atrocities".
"What we have seen happening in the past 24 hours is that the Georgian military activity in South Ossetia is continuing... We see continued general mobilisation of the Georgian forces," he said.
"I cannot see us accepting this French draft."
Moscow has called for an emergency meeting with Nato to discuss the conflict, which erupted after the Georgians launched a surprise attack on Thursday night to retake South Ossetia and Russia sent in its forces to eject them.
In his comments on Monday, President Bush strongly criticised Russia, suggesting it might be planning to depose the Georgian government.
"Russia's government must respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty," he said.
"The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on."
But Mr Bush stopped short of specifying any consequences if Russia failed to heed Western appeals for an end to the fighting.
Whatever the unease in many Western capitals at the rash thinking that led President Saakashvili to order his troops into South Ossetia, there is growing outrage, BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus reports.
Many believe that Moscow has gone too far, he says.
By moving beyond the territory of the separatist enclaves, Russia's forces are close to cutting key transport links between Tbilisi and Georgia's Black sea ports, raising concerns about its wider strategic goals.
President Sarkozy's diplomatic round on Tuesday is a tangible signal of European concern, our correspondent says.
In Moscow, he may have uncompromising words for President Dmitry Medvedev but in Tbilisi he is likely to be hailed in much the same way as former French President Francois Mitterrand was feted when he visited Sarajevo during the dark days of the siege in 1992, he adds.
But the harsh truth is that the West has relatively few diplomatic cards to play against a powerful neighbour which controls much of Europe's energy supplies, he says.
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Developing story:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7555858.stm
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, the Kremlin says.
He told officials he had taken the decision to end the operation after restoring security for civilians and peacekeepers in South Ossetia.
However, Russia has been highly critical of Georgia's leadership, and there were no signs of imminent talks.
Before the announcement, there were fresh reports of Russian warplanes bombing the Georgian town of Gori.
Witnesses told the BBC that several people killed when a bomb hit a hospital.
A reporter for the Reuters news agency said several bombs exploded in front of his vehicle, while a photographer for the agency spoke of seeing dead and injured people lying in the streets.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, near Gori, reported seeing sporadic artillery fire in and around the town, which is 10 miles (15km) from the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali.
The explosions continued until shortly before the announcement by the Russian president that military operations would end, he added.
Our correspondent said there was no sign of Russian troops south of Gori, but said there were a number of Georgian military vehicles abandoned or burnt on the road outside the town.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7555858.stm
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered an end to military operations against Georgia, the Kremlin says.
He told officials he had taken the decision to end the operation after restoring security for civilians and peacekeepers in South Ossetia.
However, Russia has been highly critical of Georgia's leadership, and there were no signs of imminent talks.
Before the announcement, there were fresh reports of Russian warplanes bombing the Georgian town of Gori.
Witnesses told the BBC that several people killed when a bomb hit a hospital.
A reporter for the Reuters news agency said several bombs exploded in front of his vehicle, while a photographer for the agency spoke of seeing dead and injured people lying in the streets.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, near Gori, reported seeing sporadic artillery fire in and around the town, which is 10 miles (15km) from the South Ossetian capital, Tskhinvali.
The explosions continued until shortly before the announcement by the Russian president that military operations would end, he added.
Our correspondent said there was no sign of Russian troops south of Gori, but said there were a number of Georgian military vehicles abandoned or burnt on the road outside the town.
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Re: Caucusus war- Russia: "Operation against Georgia over"
Georgia and Russia agree on truce
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has agreed an outline plan with Russia and Georgia to try to resolve their crisis.
A key element calls for all forces to return to the areas where they were before fighting broke out last week.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels are discussing the plan at an emergency meeting on the crisis.
Some 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the conflict, which has created huge tensions in international relations.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Georgia, says fighting in the South Ossetia region does now seem to have ended.
On Tuesday, Russia announced its military activity in the area was completed and witnesses saw troops pulling out.
However on Wednesday, journalists and eyewitnesses reported seeing Russian tanks patrolling the streets of Gori, the nearest major Georgian town to the South Ossetian border.
Russia has held all the cards in this conflict and looks set to end up with both a diplomatic and a military victory, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt, in Moscow.
It has shown its power within the region and the weakness of the West, which has been unable and unwilling to come to Georgia's aid with anything other than words of support, our correspondent adds.
Fiery rhetoric
Despite the diplomacy and apparent withdrawal, rhetoric on both sides remained fiery and analysts were predicting a long road to peace.
On Wednesday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili accused Russia of violating the ceasefire with troop movements around the country, while asserting that the ceasefire on the Georgian side was always in force.
FIVE-POINT PEACE PLAN
No more use of force
Stop all military actions for good
Free access to humanitarian aid
Georgian troops return to their places of permanent deployment
Russian troops return to pre-conflict positions
"They went through our towns and they are rampaging and they are also shooting," he said at a news conference in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
He also said he had been getting reports of large-scale violations of human rights by Russian forces: "What we are seeing is classic Balkan-type and WWII-type ethnic cleansing and purification campaigns," he said, speaking of a Russian "rampage" through Georgian-controlled villages in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia.
A BBC correspondent in Tbilisi says there have been reports of extensive looting and kidnappings by gunmen around the town of Gori.
Shortly after the Georgian president spoke, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned the actions of the Georgian leadership in South Ossetia.
"Georgia - of course, not Georgia, but the Georgian leadership - gave an order which led to an act of genocide, which resulted in war crimes, ethnic cleansing. And this, of course, cannot go unanswered."
Russian troop reinforcements would be withdrawn from South Ossetia, depending on the extent to which Georgian troops did the same, he added. Mr Lavrov also said that Russian peacekeepers would remain in South Ossetia.
Aid agencies on the ground say they have not come across any evidence of human rights violations.
"It is clear that both sides are exaggerating, and that figures are inflated," Giorgi Gogia of Human Rights Watch told the BBC News website from Tbilisi.
EU meeting
France - which currently holds the EU presidency - wants Wednesday's meeting to endorse its peace initiative before it is submitted to the UN Security Council.
The ministers are to consider sending peacekeepers to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia, and protect humanitarian supplies.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said Russian troops in Georgia should withdraw to pre-7 August positions and criticised the country's "19th-Century way" of doing politics.
Mr Sarkozy, in his current role as EU president, held talks with President Medvedev in Moscow for most of Tuesday before flying to Tbilisi, where his arrival was greeted by emotional displays.
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Nicolas Sarkozy says the framework plan aims to bring peace
He held news conferences with both Mr Medvedev and Mr Saakashvili - with all three leaders saying they had agreed in principle to a five-point plan.
A sixth point in the plan, about holding international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, had been deleted with the agreement of Mr Medvedev, Mr Sarkozy and Mr Saakashvili said.
"The territorial integrity and belonging of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Georgia can never be put under doubt," the Georgian leader said.
On Wednesday, the Russian army said 74 of its soldiers were killed, 171 were wounded and 19 were missing, the AFP news agency reports.
In Abkhazia, Georgia said its troops had withdrawn from the only area of the breakaway province they still occupied following a Russian offensive there, the Kodori Gorge.
The self-styled president of Abkhazia said it was in control of the disputed upper reaches of the gorge and that its forces had pushed Georgian troops out of the area a day earlier.
National mourning
The US has meanwhile said it is cancelling an annual joint naval exercise with Russia, scheduled for the end of this week in the Sea of Japan.
A US official told news agencies there was no way Washington could "proceed with this joint exercise at this time".
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Russia was "frankly... doing great damage" to its prospects for integrating into international organisations.
In a reference to the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia, she said Moscow's behaviour belonged to "another time".
"We are not in 1968 and the message has been very clear to Russia that it cannot operate that way," she told the US channel ABC News.
Making Wednesday a day of national mourning in Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev accused Georgia of mounting a "genocide of the South Ossetian people".
In his decree on national mourning, Mr Medvedev, who on Tuesday called Georgian troops "thugs" [Russian: otmorozki], did not give figures for civilian casualties in South Ossetia, but said they were "numerous".
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South Ossetian refugees in North Ossetia, Russia, describe their experiences
Russia moved in forcefully, sending troops into South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway province. Georgian towns away from the two regions were also bombed.
Fighting flared last Thursday night when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia - a region nominally part of Georgia, but with de facto independence and where a majority of people hold Russian passports.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has agreed an outline plan with Russia and Georgia to try to resolve their crisis.
A key element calls for all forces to return to the areas where they were before fighting broke out last week.
EU foreign ministers in Brussels are discussing the plan at an emergency meeting on the crisis.
Some 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the conflict, which has created huge tensions in international relations.
The BBC's Gabriel Gatehouse, in Georgia, says fighting in the South Ossetia region does now seem to have ended.
On Tuesday, Russia announced its military activity in the area was completed and witnesses saw troops pulling out.
However on Wednesday, journalists and eyewitnesses reported seeing Russian tanks patrolling the streets of Gori, the nearest major Georgian town to the South Ossetian border.
Russia has held all the cards in this conflict and looks set to end up with both a diplomatic and a military victory, says the BBC's Caroline Wyatt, in Moscow.
It has shown its power within the region and the weakness of the West, which has been unable and unwilling to come to Georgia's aid with anything other than words of support, our correspondent adds.
Fiery rhetoric
Despite the diplomacy and apparent withdrawal, rhetoric on both sides remained fiery and analysts were predicting a long road to peace.
On Wednesday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili accused Russia of violating the ceasefire with troop movements around the country, while asserting that the ceasefire on the Georgian side was always in force.
FIVE-POINT PEACE PLAN
No more use of force
Stop all military actions for good
Free access to humanitarian aid
Georgian troops return to their places of permanent deployment
Russian troops return to pre-conflict positions
"They went through our towns and they are rampaging and they are also shooting," he said at a news conference in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
He also said he had been getting reports of large-scale violations of human rights by Russian forces: "What we are seeing is classic Balkan-type and WWII-type ethnic cleansing and purification campaigns," he said, speaking of a Russian "rampage" through Georgian-controlled villages in South Ossetia and in Abkhazia.
A BBC correspondent in Tbilisi says there have been reports of extensive looting and kidnappings by gunmen around the town of Gori.
Shortly after the Georgian president spoke, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov condemned the actions of the Georgian leadership in South Ossetia.
"Georgia - of course, not Georgia, but the Georgian leadership - gave an order which led to an act of genocide, which resulted in war crimes, ethnic cleansing. And this, of course, cannot go unanswered."
Russian troop reinforcements would be withdrawn from South Ossetia, depending on the extent to which Georgian troops did the same, he added. Mr Lavrov also said that Russian peacekeepers would remain in South Ossetia.
Aid agencies on the ground say they have not come across any evidence of human rights violations.
"It is clear that both sides are exaggerating, and that figures are inflated," Giorgi Gogia of Human Rights Watch told the BBC News website from Tbilisi.
EU meeting
France - which currently holds the EU presidency - wants Wednesday's meeting to endorse its peace initiative before it is submitted to the UN Security Council.
The ministers are to consider sending peacekeepers to secure a ceasefire between Russia and Georgia, and protect humanitarian supplies.
UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband has said Russian troops in Georgia should withdraw to pre-7 August positions and criticised the country's "19th-Century way" of doing politics.
Mr Sarkozy, in his current role as EU president, held talks with President Medvedev in Moscow for most of Tuesday before flying to Tbilisi, where his arrival was greeted by emotional displays.
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Nicolas Sarkozy says the framework plan aims to bring peace
He held news conferences with both Mr Medvedev and Mr Saakashvili - with all three leaders saying they had agreed in principle to a five-point plan.
A sixth point in the plan, about holding international discussions on the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, had been deleted with the agreement of Mr Medvedev, Mr Sarkozy and Mr Saakashvili said.
"The territorial integrity and belonging of South Ossetia and Abkhazia to Georgia can never be put under doubt," the Georgian leader said.
On Wednesday, the Russian army said 74 of its soldiers were killed, 171 were wounded and 19 were missing, the AFP news agency reports.
In Abkhazia, Georgia said its troops had withdrawn from the only area of the breakaway province they still occupied following a Russian offensive there, the Kodori Gorge.
The self-styled president of Abkhazia said it was in control of the disputed upper reaches of the gorge and that its forces had pushed Georgian troops out of the area a day earlier.
National mourning
The US has meanwhile said it is cancelling an annual joint naval exercise with Russia, scheduled for the end of this week in the Sea of Japan.
A US official told news agencies there was no way Washington could "proceed with this joint exercise at this time".
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned that Russia was "frankly... doing great damage" to its prospects for integrating into international organisations.
In a reference to the Soviet Union's invasion of Czechoslovakia, she said Moscow's behaviour belonged to "another time".
"We are not in 1968 and the message has been very clear to Russia that it cannot operate that way," she told the US channel ABC News.
Making Wednesday a day of national mourning in Russia, President Dmitry Medvedev accused Georgia of mounting a "genocide of the South Ossetian people".
In his decree on national mourning, Mr Medvedev, who on Tuesday called Georgian troops "thugs" [Russian: otmorozki], did not give figures for civilian casualties in South Ossetia, but said they were "numerous".
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South Ossetian refugees in North Ossetia, Russia, describe their experiences
Russia moved in forcefully, sending troops into South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another breakaway province. Georgian towns away from the two regions were also bombed.
Fighting flared last Thursday night when Georgia sent its army to regain control of South Ossetia - a region nominally part of Georgia, but with de facto independence and where a majority of people hold Russian passports.
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Violence flares in Georgian town
Violence has flared up in Georgia, where Russian tanks have been seen patrolling the town of Gori, says the BBC's Gavin Hewitt near the scene.
People leaving the town say there is looting going on involving South Ossetian separatists.
There are reports of residents being stripped of everything at gunpoint on the entrances to the city.
A ceasefire is in place, but it seems to be very fragile in that particular area, our correspondent says.
In Gori, the Russian tanks seem to be dismantling and destroying Georgian army bases in the town, our correspondent says.
There is a pall of smoke over Gori's market, but it is not clear if any more fighting has been going on there.
Terrified residents have watched their houses being torched, and the situation may well be worse in outlying villages, our correspondent adds.
There is also a Russian checkpoint with two Russian tanks outside Gori on the main road leading into the town from the Georgian capital Tbilisi, an eyewitness told the BBC.
But the Russian foreign ministry says it has no Russian troops left in Gori, Reuters news agency reports.
On Tuesday, Russian forces said their military activity in the area was completed after Georgian security forces were driven out of the town during fighting.
Foreign ministers from the European Union are holding emergency talks in Brussels on the crisis between Russia and Georgia.
A key element calls for all forces to return to the areas where they were before fighting broke out last week.
Some 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the conflict, which has created huge tensions in international relations.
Violence has flared up in Georgia, where Russian tanks have been seen patrolling the town of Gori, says the BBC's Gavin Hewitt near the scene.
People leaving the town say there is looting going on involving South Ossetian separatists.
There are reports of residents being stripped of everything at gunpoint on the entrances to the city.
A ceasefire is in place, but it seems to be very fragile in that particular area, our correspondent says.
In Gori, the Russian tanks seem to be dismantling and destroying Georgian army bases in the town, our correspondent says.
There is a pall of smoke over Gori's market, but it is not clear if any more fighting has been going on there.
Terrified residents have watched their houses being torched, and the situation may well be worse in outlying villages, our correspondent adds.
There is also a Russian checkpoint with two Russian tanks outside Gori on the main road leading into the town from the Georgian capital Tbilisi, an eyewitness told the BBC.
But the Russian foreign ministry says it has no Russian troops left in Gori, Reuters news agency reports.
On Tuesday, Russian forces said their military activity in the area was completed after Georgian security forces were driven out of the town during fighting.
Foreign ministers from the European Union are holding emergency talks in Brussels on the crisis between Russia and Georgia.
A key element calls for all forces to return to the areas where they were before fighting broke out last week.
Some 100,000 people are estimated to have been displaced by the conflict, which has created huge tensions in international relations.
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Ed Mahmoud
Re: Russian troops take Gori, heading for Tbilisi despite truce
Different name, same old Soviet Union.
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US warns Russia of lasting impact
The US defence chief has warned relations with Russia could be damaged for years if Moscow does not step back from "aggressive" actions in Georgia.
But Robert Gates said he did not see a need for US military force in Georgia.
His words came as Moscow said the idea of Georgian territorial integrity was an irrelevance.
Georgia's breakaway regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - would never agree to being part of Georgia again, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Earlier, Russia said it had began handing back the town of Gori to Georgian police but insisted its troops would stay in the area.
A Russian general said his forces were there to remove weaponry and help restore law and order in Gori, which lies some 15km (10 miles) from South Ossetia and on a key route to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
The BBC's Natalia Antelava in Tbilisi said plans for a joint patrol force by the Georgian police and Russian military had failed.
Our correspondent says there are also reports of Russian military vehicles moving around the town of Senaki and the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti in western Georgia.
Moscow had earlier denied the reports but Russia's deputy chief of staff, Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, told a televised news conference it was legitimate for Russians to be in Poti as part of intelligence-gathering operations.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that more than 100 Russian vehicles, some of them armoured, had gathered outside the major western Georgian town of Zugdidi.
Despite concerns that Moscow may not be keen quickly to leave Georgian territory, Mr Gates said the Russians did seem to be pulling back.
"They appear to be withdrawing their forces back towards Abkhazia and to the zone of conflict... towards South Ossetia," he said.
Gen James Cartwright, vice-chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said he believed Russia was "generally complying" with the terms of the truce, which called for its withdrawal from hostilities.
But, Mr Gates warned: "If Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia, the US-Russian relationship could be adversely affected for years to come."
The Russians were trying to redress what they regarded as the many concessions forced on them after the break-up of the Soviet Union and were trying to "reassert their international status", Mr Gates said.
Georgia was also being punished for its efforts to integrate with the West and in particular to join Nato, the defence secretary went on.
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Mr Gates's address was the first effort by a senior member of the Bush administration to set out what the Americans believe is happening in Russia.
But while Mr Gates said Russia's aggressive posture was not acceptable, our correspondent says, he took an unusual step for the Bush administration in ruling out the use of US force. This is not a fight that America wants to have.
Georgia attacked the rebel region of South Ossetia from Gori a week ago, prompting Russian retaliation. The Georgians say it followed continuous provocation.
Both sides agreed to a French-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday, amid international concern, but it has seemed fragile so far.
Earlier on Thursday in Moscow, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would respect any decision South Ossetia and Abkhazia made about their future status.
His words followed warnings from the US that Russia had to respect Georgia's territorial sovereignty and withdraw its forces.
Meanwhile, the US has sent its second shipment of humanitarian aid into Georgia.
Russia has questioned whether the deliveries contain only humanitarian supplies.
The US defence chief has warned relations with Russia could be damaged for years if Moscow does not step back from "aggressive" actions in Georgia.
But Robert Gates said he did not see a need for US military force in Georgia.
His words came as Moscow said the idea of Georgian territorial integrity was an irrelevance.
Georgia's breakaway regions - Abkhazia and South Ossetia - would never agree to being part of Georgia again, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
Earlier, Russia said it had began handing back the town of Gori to Georgian police but insisted its troops would stay in the area.
A Russian general said his forces were there to remove weaponry and help restore law and order in Gori, which lies some 15km (10 miles) from South Ossetia and on a key route to the Georgian capital, Tbilisi.
The BBC's Natalia Antelava in Tbilisi said plans for a joint patrol force by the Georgian police and Russian military had failed.
Our correspondent says there are also reports of Russian military vehicles moving around the town of Senaki and the Georgian Black Sea port of Poti in western Georgia.
Moscow had earlier denied the reports but Russia's deputy chief of staff, Gen Anatoly Nogovitsyn, told a televised news conference it was legitimate for Russians to be in Poti as part of intelligence-gathering operations.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that more than 100 Russian vehicles, some of them armoured, had gathered outside the major western Georgian town of Zugdidi.
Despite concerns that Moscow may not be keen quickly to leave Georgian territory, Mr Gates said the Russians did seem to be pulling back.
"They appear to be withdrawing their forces back towards Abkhazia and to the zone of conflict... towards South Ossetia," he said.
Gen James Cartwright, vice-chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, also said he believed Russia was "generally complying" with the terms of the truce, which called for its withdrawal from hostilities.
But, Mr Gates warned: "If Russia does not step back from its aggressive posture and actions in Georgia, the US-Russian relationship could be adversely affected for years to come."
The Russians were trying to redress what they regarded as the many concessions forced on them after the break-up of the Soviet Union and were trying to "reassert their international status", Mr Gates said.
Georgia was also being punished for its efforts to integrate with the West and in particular to join Nato, the defence secretary went on.
The BBC's Justin Webb in Washington says Mr Gates's address was the first effort by a senior member of the Bush administration to set out what the Americans believe is happening in Russia.
But while Mr Gates said Russia's aggressive posture was not acceptable, our correspondent says, he took an unusual step for the Bush administration in ruling out the use of US force. This is not a fight that America wants to have.
Georgia attacked the rebel region of South Ossetia from Gori a week ago, prompting Russian retaliation. The Georgians say it followed continuous provocation.
Both sides agreed to a French-brokered ceasefire on Tuesday, amid international concern, but it has seemed fragile so far.
Earlier on Thursday in Moscow, Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said Russia would respect any decision South Ossetia and Abkhazia made about their future status.
His words followed warnings from the US that Russia had to respect Georgia's territorial sovereignty and withdraw its forces.
Meanwhile, the US has sent its second shipment of humanitarian aid into Georgia.
Russia has questioned whether the deliveries contain only humanitarian supplies.
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US demands Russian troop pull-out
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has demanded that Russian forces withdraw from Georgia immediately.
It comes after Georgia's president signed an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, after nearly five hours of talks.
In angry comments at a news briefing in Tbilisi, President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept the loss of any of its territory.
The crisis began when Georgia sent troops to the breakaway region of South Ossetia, sparking Russian intervention.
Georgian forces launched a surprise attack on 7 August against separatist militiamen that it accused of attacking civilians in South Ossetia.
Scores of people have died since the fighting began and tens of thousands have been displaced.
President Saakashvili said he had signed the six-point ceasefire agreement - brokered by France - but that it was not a permanent solution.
It includes a pledge to pull all troops back to their pre-conflict positions, and a plan to begin international talks about the future status of South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia.
Mr Saakashvili denounced the Russian invasion, referring to its forces as "cold-blooded killers" and "barbarians" - he said that Georgia was now "looking evil directly in the eye".
He also accused the West - especially European countries - of inviting Moscow's military action by failing to offer his country Nato membership earlier this year.
Ms Rice said that Georgia's acceptance of the plan meant all Russian combat forces should now withdraw, and she called on Russia to co-operate in getting international observers in place.
In a telephone call, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, that his country would sign the ceasefire agreement, French officials said.
"[Mr Medvedev] confirmed that he would scrupulously respect its commitments to the accord, notably the pull-out of Russian forces," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the campaign group, Human Rights Watch, said it had evidence Russian aircraft attacked populated areas of Georgia with cluster bombs, which are banned internationally.
A senior Russian official denied the allegation, saying the report was a "well-prepared lie".
President George W Bush has accused Russia of "bullying and intimidation", saying it was an unacceptable "way to conduct foreign policy in the 21st Century".
Speaking at the White House, Mr Bush demanded that Moscow respect Georgia's territorial integrity and withdraw its troops - or risk international isolation.
"Only Russia can decide whether it will now put itself back on the path of responsible nations or continue to pursue a policy that promises only confrontation and isolation."
At the same time, after talks with President Medvedev in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the Russian response as "disproportionate".
But Mr Medvedev said Russia was the "guarantor" of the interests and lives of those in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
He said they trusted Russian troops, and that this had to be taken into account.
Mr Medvedev said he did not want to damage relations with other countries but that Russia had to fulfil its peacekeeping mandate, and that it would respond in the same way to any future attack on its troops or citizens.
He added that a new deal to base part of a US missile defence system on Polish soil was aimed at the Russian federation.
Washington - which says the timing is not linked to the Georgian crisis - insists that the shield is to protect against "rogue states" such as Iran.
But, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington, the US is now likely to be less worried about Russian objections and more anxious to send signals to European allies like Poland that it is prepared to guarantee their protection.
Moscow's troops continue to operate deep inside the Caucasus republic, occupying parts of at least three major towns.
There were reports of Russian anti-personnel carriers moving closer towards the Georgian capital, setting up a new checkpoint about 35km (22 miles) outside Tbilisi.
The BBC's Richard Galpin, in the Georgian port of Poti, says Russian forces have taken control of the naval dockyard - with the apparent intent to destroy or remove Georgian military and naval equipment.
There was also a major Russian military contingent further inland, at Senaki, where Russia said it has seized a large depot of American-made arms.
Russian forces still control Gori, which lies some 15km (10 miles) from South Ossetia, but say they are holding talks with Georgian police on transferring control back to them.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has demanded that Russian forces withdraw from Georgia immediately.
It comes after Georgia's president signed an EU-brokered ceasefire deal, after nearly five hours of talks.
In angry comments at a news briefing in Tbilisi, President Mikhail Saakashvili said his country would never accept the loss of any of its territory.
The crisis began when Georgia sent troops to the breakaway region of South Ossetia, sparking Russian intervention.
Georgian forces launched a surprise attack on 7 August against separatist militiamen that it accused of attacking civilians in South Ossetia.
Scores of people have died since the fighting began and tens of thousands have been displaced.
President Saakashvili said he had signed the six-point ceasefire agreement - brokered by France - but that it was not a permanent solution.
It includes a pledge to pull all troops back to their pre-conflict positions, and a plan to begin international talks about the future status of South Ossetia and a second breakaway region, Abkhazia.
Mr Saakashvili denounced the Russian invasion, referring to its forces as "cold-blooded killers" and "barbarians" - he said that Georgia was now "looking evil directly in the eye".
He also accused the West - especially European countries - of inviting Moscow's military action by failing to offer his country Nato membership earlier this year.
Ms Rice said that Georgia's acceptance of the plan meant all Russian combat forces should now withdraw, and she called on Russia to co-operate in getting international observers in place.
In a telephone call, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told his French counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy, that his country would sign the ceasefire agreement, French officials said.
"[Mr Medvedev] confirmed that he would scrupulously respect its commitments to the accord, notably the pull-out of Russian forces," the statement said.
Meanwhile, the campaign group, Human Rights Watch, said it had evidence Russian aircraft attacked populated areas of Georgia with cluster bombs, which are banned internationally.
A senior Russian official denied the allegation, saying the report was a "well-prepared lie".
President George W Bush has accused Russia of "bullying and intimidation", saying it was an unacceptable "way to conduct foreign policy in the 21st Century".
Speaking at the White House, Mr Bush demanded that Moscow respect Georgia's territorial integrity and withdraw its troops - or risk international isolation.
"Only Russia can decide whether it will now put itself back on the path of responsible nations or continue to pursue a policy that promises only confrontation and isolation."
At the same time, after talks with President Medvedev in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel described the Russian response as "disproportionate".
But Mr Medvedev said Russia was the "guarantor" of the interests and lives of those in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
He said they trusted Russian troops, and that this had to be taken into account.
Mr Medvedev said he did not want to damage relations with other countries but that Russia had to fulfil its peacekeeping mandate, and that it would respond in the same way to any future attack on its troops or citizens.
He added that a new deal to base part of a US missile defence system on Polish soil was aimed at the Russian federation.
Washington - which says the timing is not linked to the Georgian crisis - insists that the shield is to protect against "rogue states" such as Iran.
But, says the BBC's Jonathan Beale in Washington, the US is now likely to be less worried about Russian objections and more anxious to send signals to European allies like Poland that it is prepared to guarantee their protection.
Moscow's troops continue to operate deep inside the Caucasus republic, occupying parts of at least three major towns.
There were reports of Russian anti-personnel carriers moving closer towards the Georgian capital, setting up a new checkpoint about 35km (22 miles) outside Tbilisi.
The BBC's Richard Galpin, in the Georgian port of Poti, says Russian forces have taken control of the naval dockyard - with the apparent intent to destroy or remove Georgian military and naval equipment.
There was also a major Russian military contingent further inland, at Senaki, where Russia said it has seized a large depot of American-made arms.
Russian forces still control Gori, which lies some 15km (10 miles) from South Ossetia, but say they are holding talks with Georgian police on transferring control back to them.
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