Germany's Schroeder says Georgia sparked fighting

Source: Reuters

Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder blamed Tbilisi on Saturday for sparking hostilities with Moscow and suggested its breakaway regions could not remain part of Georgia following the violent clashes of the past week.

In an interview with German weekly Der Spiegel, Schroeder also criticised the West for failures in its dealings with Russia and urged Europe to strengthen its ties with Moscow.

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"The starting point of the military confrontation was Georgia's march into South Ossetia. We shouldn't confuse things," Schroeder said, when asked who was responsible for the outbreak of violence between Russian and Georgian troops.
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He doubted the United States, a strong ally of Georgia, was not informed about the initial Georgian offensive given that it has military advisers stationed in Tbilisi.