Russia ponders next step as breakaway republics make Moscow move
Updated on 29 August 2008
The two Georgian regions at the heart of the conflict between Russia and Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, plan to leave Georgia and become part of Russia.
This announcement comes after Russia accused the west of pro-Georgian bias and reports that Russia could cut oil supplies to the west.
The prospect of EU sanctions against Moscow now appears to have receded.
This afternoon I spoke to the Russian ambassador to London, Yury Fedotov, in what was his first television interview since the crisis over South Ossetia began.
I asked him whether he thought Russian recognition of the two breakaway republics was the catalyst which caused Georgia to cut diplomatic ties.
