Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili says he has signed aEuropean-backed cease-fire document aimed at halting fighting betweenGeorgian and Russian forces.
French Foreign Minister BernardKouchner and his Finnish counterpart, Alexander Stubb, were to carrythe signed document to Moscow Monday, in a high-profile push to endfighting in Georgia.
Russian warplanes staged new attacksMonday on Georgian targets, and Russian officials claimed that Georgianforces continued to fire on Tskhinvali - the capital of the breakawayprovince South Ossetia. Russia says it has complete control of thecity.
Georgian troops, overwhelmed by Russian firepower, fledSouth Ossetia Sunday as Georgian authorities announced a cease-fire. In rejecting that truce call, Moscow said Georgian forces were largelyignoring their own pledge.
Fighting escalated in South OssetiaFriday when Georgia moved to regain control of the region fromseparatists. Russia responded by sending thousands of troops into theregion.
Meanwhile, Moscow has issued anultimatum demanding that 1,500 Georgian troops stationed nearAbkhazia - a second pro-Russian breakaway region in Georgia - eitherdisarm or face attack. Georgia has rejected the disarmament call.
ARussian military spokesman, Alexander Novitsky, told the Interfax newsagency Sunday that the military was preparing to deploy nine thousandtroops to Abkhazia.
Western nations are pressing Russia andGeorgia to end the hostilities. NATO Secretary-General Jaap de HoopScheffer has accused Russia of using excessive force and violatingGeorgia's territory.
Georgia's foreign minister is expected to meet with NATO officials in Brussels Tuesday.
Georgia says 150 people have been killed. Russia says the death toll is at least 1,500.