EU, U.S. diplomats seek Georgia ceasefire

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 9 (UPI) -- European Union and U.S. diplomats were arriving in Georgia Saturday in an attempt to mediate an end to the military conflict, EU sources said.

Despite international appeals, fighting between Russia and Georgia has resulted in at least 1,500 killed in South Ossetia, Russian leaders said. In response, an EU diplomatic delegation headed by South Caucasus envoy Peter Semneby and a U.S. team led by Matthew Bryza was heading to the Georgian capital Tblisi, the EU Observer reported.

Lithuanian foreign minister Petras Vaitiekunas is also going on a separate, fact-finding mission for the EU, the newspaper said.

EU president France says there have been "multiple contacts" with Russia and Georgia and that it is "in liaison with all the protagonists" to hammer out a ceasefire. The Observer said EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana has been in touch with the Georgian and Russian foreign ministers as well.

EU sources said, however, that prospects for a diplomatic solution in South Ossetia is uncertain after a second meeting of the United Nations Security Council Friday failed to produce an agreement on a ceasefire resolution. The United States and Britain disagreed with Russia on the wording of the text.