Russia to use regular soldiers in Georgia

MOSCOW, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Russia plans to send regular soldiers to protect the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday.

Russia has recognized the two regions as independent countries, although no one else has followed suit. Lavrov held a news conference with the foreign ministers of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the Novosti news agency reported.

"Russia, South Ossetia, and Abkhazia will take all possible measures jointly to remove and prevent threats to peace or attempts to destroy peace and to counter acts of aggression against them on the part of any country or any group of countries," Lavrov said.

He told reporters that the Russian government will open embassies soon.

Also Tuesday, Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of the Russian General Staff, accused the United States of being complicit in the Georgian conflict, Itar-Tass reported. He said that the United States airlifted Georgian troops home from Iraq when President Mikheil Saakashvili launched an operation aimed at restoring Georgian control in South Ossetia.