Russian President Dmitri Medvedev said Tuesday that Russia is ending its current military operation against Georgian forces because it has achieved its goals. But Mr. Medvedev, speaking on state television, stopped short of saying Russia would withdraw its troops from Georgia.

"The goals of the operation have been achieved," Mr. Medvedev said. "The safety of our peacekeepers and the civilian population have been restored."

But Mr. Medvedev also said that Russia still reserves the right to renew attacks if it encounters Georgian resistance or fighting. He said a full settlement of the military conflict with Georgia was subject to two conditions. "First, Georgian troops should return to their initial position and be partly demilitarized," he said." Second, we need to sign a binding agreement on non-use of force."

Russia Orders Halt in Georgia as Fighting Continues

In a meeting with Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov shown on Russian television, Mr. Medvedev said: “The goal of the operation has been achieved. The security of our peacekeepers and civilians has been ensured.” But he also told Mr. Serdyukov to “eliminate” any enemy remaining in South Ossetia.

“Whenever hotbeds of resistance and other aggressive plans emerge, make the decision and eliminate them,” he said.

Georgia: Europe fears for oil supply as clash threatens pipeline

BP said that all oil exports bound for the West via Georgia had been suspended as supplies that had initially been diverted to another pipeline, Baku-Supsa, for export by sea could not be collected because of the security situation. They were being held in storage at Supsa, a Georgian port terminal on the Black Sea.

The head of Azerbaijan’s state oil company said that oil exports had also been halted via the Georgian ports of Batumi and Kulevi because of the fighting. Georgian officials earlier said that Russian aircraft had attacked an oil terminal at the port of Poti.

The temporary closure of the pipeline forced a cut in production of the high-quality-grade Azeri light crude by about 450,000 barrels per day.

INSTANT VIEW 4-Russian president orders stop to Georgia ops

MICHAL THIM, ANALYST, ASSOCIATION FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, PRAGUE: "We have to wait and see if this is implemented.

"Russia militarily and politically achieved what it wanted. In all that time, apart from some verbal criticism, it has not met any sharp or fundamental reaction from the United States nor Europe.

"The EU council of ministers is only meeting tomorrow and it was Russia's interest to put them in front of a final state of affairs which they seem to have achieved.

"It would be tactically disadvantageous for Russia to continue in its actions during that meeting given that they had achieved what they wanted.

The above article gives quotes from a number of different analysts.

War in Georgia, Politics in D.C.

But if the stakes are high, you wouldn't know it from Washington's early reaction. The administration of George W. Bush has been slow to respond, with the President making cautious statements of condemnation over the weekend at the Olympic games in Beijing, and Condoleezza Rice remaining on vacation and oddly absent from public view. Meanwhile, the presidential campaigns have seen the crisis largely through a political lens, as eager to gain an edge in the race for the White House as they are to seek solutions.

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