Georgia Accepts Cease-Fire Conditions

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said he would accept a Russian cease-fire agreement to end a five-day conflict.

Under the terms, Saakashvili essentially agreed to give up his bid to reclaim South Ossetia and Abkhazia, two disputed regions along the Russian border, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

Russia said it suspended its military campaign that pounded Georgia’s troops but reports indicated it still attacked sites deep inside Georgia hours after the cease-fire was announced.

Analysts said the peace proposal, backed by France and the European Union, left no doubt that Russia won the military conflict that began last week when Georgia tried to reclaim South Ossetia and Russia responded with great force.

Saakashvili’s announcement Tuesday that he would accept the cease-fire agreement came after hours of military posturing the two countries and efforts by Western leaders, notably French President Nicolas Sarkozy acting in his capacity of EU president, to defuse the crisis.

One Georgian analyst called the Russia-proposed conditions humiliating because, among other things, they didn’t include maintaining Georgia’s territorial integrity.

“We have no other choice because no other country came to our aid,” said Alexander Rondeli, Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies president.