McCain Calls For Russia to Back Off in South Ossetia

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Today, the news reports indicate that Russian military forces crossed an internationally-recognized border into the sovereign territory of Georgia. Russia should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory. What is most critical now is to avoid further confrontation between Russian and Georgian military forces. The consequences of Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave. The government of Georgia has called for a cease fire and for a resumption of direct talks on South Ossetia with international mediators. The United States should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course. The U.S. should immediately work with the [European Union] and the [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course that it has chosen. We should immediately call a meeting of the North Atlantic Council to assess Georgia’s security and review measures [the North Atlantic Treaty Organization] can take to contribute to stabilizing this very dangerous situation. Finally, the international community needs to establish a truly independent and neutral peace-keeping force in South Ossetia.