Russia prepares to start Georgia pullout

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POTI, Sept 12 (AFP): Russian troops prepared Friday to start a tentative pull-out from Georgia as Moscow vowed to strengthen its military after last month's war and turned its diplomatic fire on Ukraine.
As the troops readied to move to the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin dismissed Western accusations that Russia's military intervention into Georgia was part of an "imperial" agenda.
"We do not have and will not have any of the imperial ambitions that people accuse us of," Putin said in the southern resort of Sochi.
On the ground there were increasing signs Russian forces were withdrawing in line with pledges made Monday by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev after he met an EU delegation in Moscow.
Troops were making preparations to leave at three of the posts mentioned in the agreement, one near Poti and the other two near Senaki, which has a strategic airbase that was bombed by Russia during the August 8-12 conflict.
"We want to leave as soon as possible.... We're just waiting for orders to leave," a soldier told AFP at a checkpoint at the entrance to Poti, a key oil terminal and naval base that was also bombed by Russian jets.
While Russian troops are leaving most of Georgia they will remain in the rebel regions at the heart of last month's conflict, estimated to have killed hundreds of people on both sides. Tens of thousands fled their homes.
Medvedev said Georgia's August 7 assault on South Ossetia meant Russia would have to think about re-arming its military.
"We should concentrate on questions of military re-equipment," said Medvedev. "Without any doubt this decision is influenced by the crisis in the Caucasus, Georgia's aggression and its continued militarization."
International tensions flared Thursday with Russia accusing Ukraine's pro- Western government of taking an "unfriendly" stance over the war and of infringing the rights of Russian-speaking residents.