McCain, Obama call on Russia, Georgia to stop fighting

Both major presidential candidates on Friday urged Russia and Georgia to cease fighting, with Sen. John McCain being much more critical of Russia’s attack on a breakaway region of Georgia.

{mosads}McCain (R-Ariz.), who has been a vocal critic of Russia on the presidential campaign trail, said the country “should immediately and unconditionally cease its military operations and withdraw all forces from sovereign Georgian territory.”

He added that an escalation of the conflict must be avoided and that the potential “consequences for Euro-Atlantic stability and security are grave.”

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), McCain’s Democratic opponent for the presidency, offered a more cautious approach in calling on the sides to stop fighting, but said, “Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected.” He condemned the outbreak of violence and called for an “immediate end to armed conflict.”

“Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war,” he said.

Both candidates also called for the U.S. to play its part in finding a peaceful solution.

“The U.S. should immediately convene an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council to call on Russia to reverse course,” McCain stated. “The U.S. should immediately work with the EU (European Union) and the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) to put diplomatic pressure on Russia to reverse this perilous course it has chosen.”

Meantime, Obama said: “All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.”