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A pullout of Georgian troops from the conflict zone is the only solution to the South Ossetian crisis, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev told US President George W. Bush in a telephone conversation today.

"The Russian president has specifically stressed that the only way out from the tragic crisis provoked by the Georgian leadership is a withdrawal by Tbilisi of its armed formations from the conflict zone," a Kremlin statement said.

President Medvedev also said a signing of a binding agreement not to attack each other between South Ossetian separatists and Georgia was also a must, the Kremlin said.

He said there were thousands of casualties and tens of thousands of refugees in South Ossetia, along with widespread destruction as a result of "barbaric action" by the Georgian authorities.

President Medvedev told Bush that Russia's sole aim was to end the violence as soon as possible and defend the civilian population.