Bush Sending Military to Georgia for Humanitarian Aid

Wed, Aug 13, 2008 at 9:33:22 am PDT

President Bush is sending US aircraft and Navy vessels to Georgia, to provide humanitarian aid.

U.S. President George W. Bush said he is concerned by reports that Russia isn’t living up a provisional cease-fire in Georgia, warning that the Kremlin is putting its relations with the U.S. and Europe at risk.

“We expect Russia to meet its commitment to cease all military activities in Georgia and we expect all Russian forces that have entered Georgia in recent days to withdraw from that country,” Bush said in a statement in the White House Rose Garden Wednesday. “As I have made clear, Russia’s ongoing action raises serious questions about its intentions in Georgia and the region.”

Bush said he is sending Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to meet with in France with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then to the Georgian capitol of Tbilisi to meet with Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili.

Bush also said Defense Secretary Robert Gates will lead the U.S. effort to provide humanitarian and medical supplies to Georgia. U.S. aircraft are on the way to deliver aid, and Navy vessels carrying aid will leave soon, he said.