South Ossetia and Abkhazia, both of which border Russia and have large ethnic-Russia populations, have resisted control from Tbilisi since Georgia - a former Soviet republic - became independent.

• 美国国务院的一位不愿透露姓名的资深外交官形容俄罗斯的行为是“政治恶作剧”，并说他深信莫斯科是在“试图把水搅浑”。