Poland, Baltics condemn Russian actions in South Ossetia (Roundup)

Aug 9, 2008, 16:57 GMT

Warsaw - The presidents of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia condemned Saturday in a joint statement the actions of Russian forces fighting in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.

The declaration was 'sharp, but the situation calls for it,' Polish President Lech Kaczynski told journalists in Warsaw.

He described the Russian intervention as incompatible with international law and an 'act of aggression.'

South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another separatist region to Georgia's east, are part of the republic of Georgia and 'nothing can change this,' Kaczynski said.

The four states in their statement called on NATO and the European Union to seize the initiative and retaliate against the 'imperialistic and revisionist politics in eastern Europe.'

'The Russian Federation has crossed the 'red line' with regard to maintaining peace and stability in the conflict zone and protecting Russian citizens outside its borders,' the statement continued.

The leaders of the four countries said they would employ 'all available methods' so that aggression against a small European country would not go without protest.

Calling on all NATO and EU members to 'react accordingly' to the crisis, Kaczynski called for more than 'insignificant statements.'

Poland has been lobbying for Georgia's entry into NATO and the EU.