Russia blocks Georgia’s main port city
Regardless whether you believe Georgia or Russia is to blame for the ongoing conflict in the Caucasus, the Russians continue to show that they aim to use the war as an excuse to dominate the Georgians. As Reuters reports, the Russians continue to violate the terms of the cease-fire, and are blocking access to the Georgian port of Poti.
Russian forces dug trenches and built fortifications in key areas of Georgia Thursday, but also rolled columns of tanks north toward home, picking and choosing how their nation would comply with the terms of a peace accord.
Although Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has pledged his forces would pull back from Georgia by Friday, his troops appeared to be in no hurry—even settling down in strategic spots. This raised concerns about whether Moscow was aiming for a lengthy occupation of its smaller, pro-Western neighbor.