BEIJING (AFP) — US President George W. Bush called Saturday for an end to Russian bombing of Georgian forces in the conflict over South Ossetia and urged all sides to cease hostilities.
"Georgia is a sovereign nation and its territorial integrity must be respected," Bush told reporters in Beijing where he is attending the Olympic Games.
"We have urged an immediate halt to the violence and a standdown by all troops," he said.
"We call for an end to the Russian bombings and a return by the parties to the status quo of August 6."
Bush said the United States was working with European countries to launch a mediation effort to end the fighting in South Ossetia, a Russian-backed breakaway region of Georgia.
"Russia needs to support these efforts so that peace can be restored as quickly as possible," he said.
Bush said he spoke to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Georgian President Mikheil Saakahvili as part of efforts to end several days of heavy fighting between the two countries, according to White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe.
Russian tanks and troops surged into South Ossetia on Friday to repel a Georgian offensive aimed at reclaiming the region amid fighting said to have left hundreds dead.
On Saturday, the Russian army announced it had "liberated" the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali as Georgia declared a "state of war."
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was also in Beijing for the Olympic opening ceremony, but there was no indication he met with Bush.
South Ossetia broke from Georgia in the early 1990s. It has since been a constant source of friction between Georgia and Russia, which disputes Tbilisi's hopes of joining NATO.
The United States has been a strong supporter of the Western-leaning government in Georgia and its bid for NATO membership.
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