Russia’s deployment of extra troops in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia has brought the prospect of war ”very close”, a minister of ex-Soviet Georgia said on Tuesday. Separately, the ”foreign minister” of the breakaway Black Sea region was quoted as saying it was ready to hand over military control to Russia.
Nato on Wednesday accused Russia of ramping up tensions with neighbour Georgia and said Moscow’s rapid build-up of troops in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia threatened Georgia’s territorial integrity. The alliance called on Russia and Georgia to resolve their differences over Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Georgia’s two rebel republics.