President George W. Bush said Monday that he is "deeply concerned" about what appears to be a major significant escalation in the Russian invasion of Georgia, calling the escalation "dramatic and brutal" and "inconsistent" with assurances he received from Russia that the conflict would not spread outside the South Ossetia region.
Addressing reporters in the Rose Garden, the President was very stern in his remarks, saying that Russia's actions in Georgia have "seriously damaged Russia's standing in the world" and that they have "damaged Russia's relationship with the U.S. and Europe."
Bush suggested that Russia could bomb Georgia's Tbilisi Airport. Doing so would seriously damage U.S.-Russian relations, as bombing the airport would make it exceedingly difficult to fly in supplies to assist the Georgian recovery.
"The Russian government must reverse the course it appears to be on," Bush said. "Russia's actions this week have raised serious questions about its intent in Georgia."
Russia continued its advance Monday, opening up a second front in the Black Sea Caucus as they attempt to cut off the country in a Sherman-esque move, dividing the embattled nation in half. Russia also reportedly captured the city of Gori, located in Central Georgia outside the contested South Ossetia region. Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said in a statement he is seeking the help of outside countries as the Russians continue their advance.
"The Georgian army is retreating to defend the capital," the Georgian government said in a statement, adding that it was "urgently seeking international intervention to prevent the fall of Georgia."
In his statement, Bush suggested that Russia may be trying to "depose" the Georgian government, an action he called "unacceptable in the 21st century."
The President called for an "immediate cease-fire," and a return to military status quo as of August 6 prior to the conflict.
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