U.S. candidates speak to Georgia president

TBILISI, Georgia, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Both major U.S. presidential candidates say they have spoken to the president of Georgia and are calling for an end to Russian bombing of that country.

Their calls for diplomacy in settling the dispute also led both to emphasize recognition of Georgia's sovereignty, CNN reported Sunday.

"For many years, I have warned against Russian actions that undermine the sovereignty of its neighbors," said Sen. John McCain, the expected Republican nominee, Saturday. "Unfortunately, we have seen in recent days Russia demonstrate that these concerns were well-founded."

"Russia must stop its bombing campaign, cease flights of Russian aircraft in Georgian airspace, and withdraw its ground forces from Georgia," said probable Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama. He also condemned "the violation of Georgia's sovereignty" and called for "an immediate cease-fire."