Pizzas galore!

Despite what appeared evidence of forces refusing to ease their occupation, Russian General Vyacheslav Borisov insisted that a promised withdrawal would take place. “The Russian troops are starting to pull out and Russian peacekeepers are coming in,” he said.

President Medvedev also insisted today that Russian regular forces would start their pull-out tomorrow.

“From tomorrow, Russia will begin withdrawing its military forces that are supporting Russian peacekeepers,” Mr Medvedev told Nicolas Sarkozy, the French President who negotiated the ceasefire, in a telephone conversation.

The pair discussed the“practical realisation” of the six-point ceasefire plan, the Kremlin added.

Promising a withdrawal of Russian forces, Mr Medvedev also “underlined the need for the unconditional and strict fulfilment by the Georgian side of the return of its military units to their permanent positions,” the statement said.

France, however, said that Mr Sarkozy used the phonecall to warn his Russian counterpart of the “serious consequences that a failure to quickly and fully implement the deal would have on relations between Russia and the European Union."

Of the phonecall, Condoleezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, ratcheted up the rhetoric accusing Mr Medvedev of failing to adhere to the ceasefire and demanding he now does so. “This is the promise that the Russian president has given to the French president .. I hope this time he’ll keep his word," she said.

She also castigated Moscow for the eruption of violence in the Caucasus saying that it was now paying the price for its display of “disproportionate force against a small neighbour."

As international pressure on Russia to make good its promises increased, Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, went to Georgia to repeat European and American demands for a swift withdrawal.

In a statement of solidarity with Georgia, she said that eastern European country would join the Western defence alliance Nato despite Russia’s fierce opposition to such a move. “Georgia will become a member of Nato if it wants to - and it does want to,” she said.

Meanwhile, Gori's civil administration appeared to be struggling to distribute aid amid the Russian siege.

As an aid bus arrived in the centre of the city, a crowd of 150 jostled against the bus to try to be first in line. An official travelling with the aid convoy was heard to shout: “Be quiet! Order! Everyone will get their turn," to try to calm the commotion.

The bus, which had arrived packed with boxes containing rice and dried beans from the Turkish Red Crescent, was swamped by the crowd who held up identity cards as proof that they had registered for help.

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