Reading the news:(AP)
Russia's Medvedev halts military action in Georgia
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian news reports are quoting President Dmitri Medvedev ordering a halt to Russian military action in Georgia.
Medvedev says in a statement carried by Russian news agencies that the Russian action has punished Georgia and restored security for civilians and Russian peacekeepers in South Ossetia. At the same time he ordered the military Tuesday to quell any Georgian armed resistance that appears.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's foreign minister says that Georgia's president must leave office and Georgian troops should stay out of the breakaway South Ossetia region for good.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says that Moscow won't talk to President Mikhail Saakashvili and Saakashvili "better go."
Lavrov's statement sets a tough stage for Russia's talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who is heading to Moscow Tuesday to negotiate an EU-brokered truce for the fierce conflict over the breakaway region.