The Russians misled Sarkozy linguistically.

[Fernand De Varennes]

This story is misleading: there was no deception. If you read the text
of the agreement Sarkozy negotiated with the Russians, it clearly does
not envisage that Russian forces would withdraw completely from South
Ossetia and Abhkazia:  paragraph 5 of the text states:

"5. Russian military forces must withdraw to the lines prior to the
start of hostilities. While awaiting an international mechanism, Russian
peacekeeping forces will implement additional security measures."

Russian 'peacekeeping' military forces were already present in Abkhazia
and South Ossetia before the start of hostilities. If all that is
required is a return to 'the lines prior to the start of hostilities',
it does not mandate the withdrawal of all Russian forces from these two
parts of Georgia. 


Dr Fernand de Varennes
2004 Linguapax Laureate
Director, European Summer Law Program
Associate Professor, International Law and Human Rights
School of Law
Murdoch University
Murdoch, WA 6150
Australia
 
Tel: +61-8-9360-6510
Fax: +61-8-9310-6671

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Sent: Tuesday, 26 August 2008 10:27 PM
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Subject: The Russians misled Sarkozy linguistically.


 From 'Russian troops in Georgia: pullout, pull-back, or stay put?' by
Vladimir Socor (Eurasia Daily Monitor)


" Medvedev used the Russian word ?otvod,? meaning pull-back, rather than
?vyvod? for ?pullout.? The French should have been alert to this
deception. It had already been used by Col.-General Anatoly Nogovitsyn
in his daily briefing on August 18, when Nogovitsyn announced that at
least some Russian forces would do an otvod, not a vyvod, and explained
the Russian linguistic nuance for the world media (Interfax, August 18).
This means that Russian troops would be pulled back within Georgia,
rather than out of Georgia. Oblivious or perhaps undaunted, the Elysee
Palace declared, ?President Medvedev announced to President Sarkozy that
the withdrawal would be concluded on August 21-22, with the exception of
500 personnel charged with implementing additional security measures
under article five of the August 12 agreement?  
(Agence France Presse, August 19)."