Britain urges coalition against Russia in Georgia

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday rejected Russia's recognition of two breakaway regions of Georgia and called for an international coalition to counter it. "Today's announcement by President (Dmitry) Medvedev that Russia will...

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday rejected Russia's recognition of two breakaway regions of Georgia and called for an international coalition to counter it.

"Today's announcement by President (Dmitry) Medvedev that Russia will recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia is unjustifiable and unacceptable," Miliband said in a statement.

"I am holding talks today with international partners and will be visiting Ukraine tomorrow to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia," he added.

Miliband's voice was the latest in a rising chorus of international disapproval for the unilateral Russian action.

"Today's announcement further inflames an already tense situation in the region. We fully support Georgia's independence and territorial integrity, which cannot be changed by decree from Moscow," Miliband added.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.