MOSCOW, Oct. 4 (UPI) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Georgia of blackmail Wednesday in an escalation of brinkmanship between the two neighboring countries.
Russia instituted sanctions following Georgia's arrest of four Russian officers on charges of spying. The four have since been released.
In return, Georgia has said it would block Russia's bid to join the World Trade Organization if economic sanctions continued.
"I would not advise anybody to talk with Russia in a language of provocations and blackmail," he told parliamentary faction leaders at the Kremlin.
"I say this referring to Georgia," Itar-Tass quoted him as adding.
The lawmakers then returned to the parliament and passed a statement condemning the "anti-Russian and anti-democratic policy of the Georgian authorities."
Putin has suspended air, sea, road, rail and postal links to Georgia since the arrests of the officers on charges of spying last week. He has also instructed police to look into the legality of Georgian-owned businesses in Russia and Wednesday called for a careful review of Russia's immigration laws.
Relations have gone downhill since the election of a pro-Western government in 2004.
