South Ossetia, the breakaway Georgian republic and scene of last month’s bitter war, announced today that it will seek to become part of the Russian Federation.

Eduard Kokoity, the President of the tiny enclave which was recognised only a few days ago as an independent state by the Kremlin, said that independence was no longer his goal. Instead he told a group of western journalists and academics that his aim was reuniting Ossetia with its countrymen across the border in North Ossetia, becoming part of Russia.

”We will be part of the Russian Federation,” he said. “It [South Ossetia] is not going to be an independent country.”

The move, if carried out, would effectively mean that Russia will be annexing part of another country’s territory by force. It will likely provoke an angry response from Georgia, its ally America and other nations concerned about the redrawing of the map of the Caucasus.

Mr Kokoity argued however that he was simply trying to redress an historic injustice that divided the Ossetian nation. He insisted that the move did not represent a threat to the region’s stability, but was simply fulfilling an oath undertaken by his ancestors in 1774 to remain loyal to the Kremlin.

Whatever the reason, the move is likely to exacerbate tensions at a time when the international community had hoped that the crisis in the Caucasus was calming down.

This week President Nicolas Sarkozy of France finalised a peace deal with President Dimitry Medvedev of Russia that should entail the complete withdrawal of all Russian troops from undisputed Georgian territory and the deployment of 200 European Union monitors to observe the ceasefire.

Since then, however, Russia has announced that it plans to base 7,600 troops in the two breakaway provinces. Meanwhile the US is drawing up plans to rearm the Georgian military which was badly mauled in last month’s conflict.

President Kokoity’s announcement that he was willing to renounce independence in favour of joining Russia was in contrast to President Sergei Bagapsh of Abkhazia. He said that his tiny coastal statelet was determined to become a fully independent state under international law even if its sovereignty has so far been recognised only by Russia and Nicaragua.

The leaders of both of the Georgian breakaway regions were united on one point, however. They both rejected any talks with the Government of President Mikhail Saakashvili, the Georgian leader. Both men said that no compromise was possible while he remained in power.

”Georgia must not make another war,” said Mr Bagapsh. “Georgia dances well, plays football well but war is not their thing.”

Times Recommends

• Peter Moore’s family say they can smile again
• Ambition always comes before a fall
• Putin: Russia needs more weapons to counter US