Russian military officials said they had started to withdraw troops from the conflict zone in Georgia on Monday, but tanks and soldiers could still be seen around the city of Gori and near the Georgian capital.
"Today, according to the peace plan, the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers and reinforcements has begun," Col.-Gen. Anatoly Nogovitsyn, deputy chief of staff for Russia's military, told a briefing in Moscow on Monday.
The RIA-Novosti news agency reported earlier that some Russian military vehicles had been seen heading towards Russia from the South Ossetian capital of Tskhinvali.
Earlier, Russian forces in the strategically important city of Gori, located about 24 kilometres south of South Ossetia, had showed no sign of moving and appeared to be solidifying their positions.
The Associated Press reported that Russian forces seemed to be moving toward the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.
"The Russians have not withdrawn," said Georgian Security Council chief Alexander Lomaia.
But CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer told Canada AM from just outside Gori that "definitely there is a reduced Russian presence here over what we saw yesterday."
Russian soldiers had taken over Georgian army barracks near the city, but those barracks are now virtually empty. A curfew began in the city starting at 6 p.m. local time (10 a.m ET), Mackey Frayer said.
Russia agreed to withdraw its forces as part of a European Union-backed ceasefire deal.
Both Russia and Georgia are to pull their forces back to positions held before hostilities broke out on Aug. 7, but the deal also grants Russia patrol rights.
France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, who played a key role in negotiating the deal, said in a commentary published on Le Figaro newspaper that if Russia didn't "rapidly and totally" pull out its forces, he would "have to call an extraordinary meeting of the Council of the European Union to decide what consequences to draw."
NATO's foreign ministers are to meet Tuesday to discuss the crisis.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that Russia can't use "disproportionate force" against its much-smaller neighbour and still be welcomed as a member of the international community.
"It's not going to happen that way," she said. "Russia will pay a price."
While senior U.S. officials have said Russia must face consequences for its actions, they haven't been specific about what form that punishment might take.
Consequences
Georgia is planning to take Russia to the World Court.
"For small nations, the World Court is the last place of refuge where right has to prevail over might," Payam Akhavan, a McGill University law professor and counsel for Georgia in the action, told CTV's Canada AM on Monday.
"Georgia must go to the World Court and hold Russia accountable for its acts of aggression and ethnic cleansing."
Georgia was once a state in the former Soviet Union, but has been independent since 1991. South Ossetia and Abkhazia broke from Georgia shortly after that and largely run their own affairs. Those regions have an ally in Russia, with many people there holding Russian passports.
Georgia and Russia have had rocky relations since President Mikhail Saakashvili, the pro-Western leader, came to power in 2004.
Russia sent its forces into Georgia after Georgia fired upon South Ossetian forces, killing 10 Russian "peacekeepers" in the process.
"Anyone who believes that Russia is a 'peacekeeper' has to have their head examined," Akhavan said.
"It's very clear that ever since 1991 ... Russia actively supported, armed and fought on the side of the separatists. How can you be a neutral peacekeeper under those circumstances?"
Akhavan portrayed the events of Aug. 7 as a "brief, one-day assault" that Russia used as a pretext to push deep into Georgia. Besides Gori, Russia took over the port city of Poti and generally dismantled Georgia's military infrastructure.
"We have to remember that South Ossetia is part of Georgia's sovereign territory, and that South Ossetian militias for several days were shelling Georgian villages, killing many civilians," he said.
Georgia acted in self-defence, he said, adding that allegations of "genocide" by Russia's Prime Minister Vladimir Putin have been proven false.
Saakashvili has vowed to never abandon Georgia's claim to the two breakaway regions. However, Russia has said Georgia will never control those territories again.
Saakashvili has softened his language somewhat.
"Let's start thinking on negotiations after your (Russian) forces pull out from Georgia to prevent further alienation," Saakashvili told his country in a pre-recorded television address. "We are ready for negotiations and we are ready to resolve problems through civilized way; but unconditional withdrawal of your troops is needed for that."
With files from The Associated Press
