Russia and Georgia have signed a ceasefire agreement that calls for the withdrawal of Russian troops to their positions before the outbreak of hostilities in South Ossetia began. Russia at first refused to begin the pullout until "extra security measures" ordered by Russian President Dmitri Medvedev were in place, but then later said that its forces would start leaving Georgia on Monday. Moscow's intervention has triggered fears throughout Eastern and Central Europe of a resurgent Russia and could precipitate a crisis between Russia and the West. A new Cold War is not a certainty, but the prospect looks more real than any time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The crisis began when Georgia sent its troops into the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Moscow responded by sending in its military, ostensibly to protect citizens of the region who held Russian passports. That rationale was always a bit questionable — Moscow offered the passports to give it a reason to intervene — but it was further undercut when Russian troops entered another separatist province, Abkhazia, and then penetrated deep into Georgian territory, destroying bridges and infrastructure, tanks, weapons and even sinking Georgian ships in the Black Sea. Since the incursions, Russian officials have said that the provinces will not return to Georgia.
International response to this crisis has been disjointed. The United States demanded a Russian withdrawal and sent its own troops to deliver humanitarian aid, a test of Moscow's commitment to permit such assistance. U.S. President George W. Bush flatly denied Russia's claim, insisting "These regions are a part of Georgia and the international community has repeatedly made clear that they will remain so. There's no room for debate on this matter." European leaders helped negotiate the ceasefire, and have promised to monitor the ceasefire, but are divided on how to respond to the Russian incursion. In his statement, Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura expressed "grave anxiety and concern" at the situation, called on all forces to withdraw, and hoped that Georgia's territorial integrity would be respected and that Russia would "act in a responsible manner."