"What they are doing is nothing to do with conflict, it is about annihilation of a democracy on their borders," Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said in an interview with the BBC.

He said Moscow's aim in entering the conflict over the breakaway enclave of South Ossetia was to show that "nobody ever will defy Russian rule in this part of the world."

France, which holds the current EU presidency, announced on Saturday that it would host a meeting of European foreign ministers early next week and possibly an EU summit later.

The French presidency said Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner would go to the region to present prosposals for ending the crisis which include "an immediate cessation of hostilities; the full respect of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia; (and) the re-establishment of the situation that existed before."

The UN Security Council was also expected to meet again Saturday to agree on a call for an immediate ceasefire after talks failed a day earlier.

Saakashvili had earlier declared a 15-day state of war, a form of martial law, and the United States led international calls for Russia to halt its military assault.

But Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said his country would "force the Georgian side into peace" and accused Georgia of causing thousands of "victims".

Russia backs the separatist government in South Ossetia and sent in tanks and troops on Friday in response to pro-Western Georgia's military campaign to take back the province which broke away in the early 1990s.

Georgia said a Russian air raid had "completely devastated" the Black Sea port of Poti in attacks that the country's UN ambassador likened to "a full-scale military invasion".

This was followed up with air raids on Gori, the main Georgian city closest to South Ossetia and another near the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline -- the world's second longest.

Saakashvili also accused Russia of deliberately targeting Georgian civilians.

"This is a 100 percent unprovoked brutal Russian invasion and aggression into a sovereign country," he told the BBC.

But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who arrived Saturday in the city of Vladikavkaz, close to Russia's border with Georgia, appeared combative.

"From a legal point of view our actions are absolutely well-founded and legitimate and moreover necessary," Putin said, blasting Georgia's "criminal" leadership.

South Ossetia was unlikely to reintegrate with the rest of Georgia after Tbilisi's current military action, Putin added, quoted by news agencies.

The current conflict with Russia has claimed 150 lives, including about 40 civilians, Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said, while Russia's ambassador to NATO, Dmitry Rogozin, claimed 1,500 civilians were killed in the burning of South Ossetia villages in the course of one day.

He accused Georgia of committing "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing" because many residents in the breakaway Georgian region are of Russian origin.

The Georgian foreign minister late Saturday said Russia's military fleet was "heading towards the Georgian coast," saying the information came from a "confirmed Russian source."

In South Ossetia, Georgian and rebel forces made rival claims to control the main city of Tskhinvali but Russia said it had "liberated" South Ossetia's main city after airlifting paratroopers.

In the streets of Tskhinvali, home to an estimated 20,000 people before the conflict, tanks burned and women and children ran for cover.

An AFP reporter in South Ossetia saw women, children and elderly riding buses toward the Russian border as a flood of refugees began to escape the violence.

US President George W. Bush cut into his engagements during a visit to Beijing to call for an end to Russian bombing.

"We have urged an immediate halt to the violence and a stand-down by all troops," Bush told reporters. "We call for an end to the Russian bombings."

South Ossetia broke from Georgia in the early 1990s. It has been a constant source of friction between Georgia and Russia, which opposes Tbilisi's aspirations of joining NATO and has supported the separatists without recognising their independence.

related report
Russia stages bombing raids as Ossetia conflict escalates
Russian warplanes on Saturday staged bombing raids across Georgia as a conflict over control of South Ossetia widened beyond the breakaway region and Moscow appeared to rebuff a call for truce by Tbilisi.

Georgia's president declared "a state of war" and the United States led international calls for Russia to halt its military assault.

But Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev said his country would "force the Georgian side into peace" and accused Georgia of causing thousands of "victims".

Russia backs the separatist government in South Ossetia and sent in tanks and troops on Friday in response to pro-Western Georgia's military campaign to take back the province which broke away in the early 1990s.

Georgia said a Russian air raid had "completely devastated" the Black Sea port of Poti in attacks that the country's UN ambassador likened to "a full-scale military invasion".

This was followed up with air raids on Gori, the main Georgian city closest to South Ossetia and another near the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) oil pipeline -- the world's second longest -- which Prime Minister Lado Gurgenidze told Georgian television was "miraculously" not damaged.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili told CNN Saturday his country was ready to "cease fire immediately, provided the other side stops to shoot and to bomb," and accused Moscow of war crimes against his people.

But Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who arrived Saturday in the city of Vladikavkaz, close to Russia's border with Georgia, to deal with an influx of refugees from South Ossetia, adopted a confrontational tone.

"From a legal point of view our actions are absolutely well-founded and legitimate and moreover necessary," Putin said, blasting Georgia's "criminal" leadership.

Putin also said "dozens" of people had been killed in Georgian attacks on South Ossetia, contradicting a claim by Moscow's separatist allies of 1,500 dead.

South Ossetia was unlikely to reintegrate with the rest of Georgia after Tbilisi's current military action, Putin added, quoted by news agencies.

Georgia, a close US ally, said it would withdraw its 2,000 troops backing US forces in Iraq and the army faced new pressure when the Russian-backed separatist administration in another region, Abkhazia, said they had begun a military operation against Georgian troops.

Abkhazia's self-styled foreign minister Sergei Shamba said the attacks on Georgian troops were in the Upper Kodori Gorge, a Georgian-controlled part of the region.

Georgian President Saakashvili earlier declared a 15-day state of war, a form of martial law, which was approved by parliament.

Georgian and South Ossetian rebel forces made rival claims to control Tskhinvali but Russia said it had "liberated" South Ossetia's main city after airlifting paratroopers.

"Tactical battalions have completely liberated Tskhinvali from Georgian military forces," General Vladimir Boldyrev, head of Russia's ground forces, told Russian news agencies.

The death toll from the first two days of fighting was disputed.

South Ossetia's government said 1,600 people had been killed. Saakashvili dismissed the figure as a "truly Soviet-style disinformation campaign".

A top Georgian security official said 10 Russian aircraft had been shot down and 30 Russian tanks destroyed.

Russia has said only that 15 of its soldiers had been killed and 150 wounded.

In the streets of Tskhinvali, home to an estimated 20,000 people before the conflict, tanks burned and women and children ran for cover. An AFP reporter in South Ossetia saw women, children and elderly riding buses toward the Russian border.

The United States and the European Union prepared a joint delegation to seek a ceasefire. US President George W. Bush cut into his engagements during a visit to Beijing to call for an end to Russian bombing.

"We have urged an immediate halt to the violence and a stand-down by all troops," Bush told reporters. "We call for an end to the Russian bombings."

The UN Security Council was to meet again Saturday at 3:30 pm (1930 GMT) to agree on a call for an immediate ceasefire after talks failed Friday. Poland called for an emergency EU summit on the crisis.

South Ossetia broke from Georgia in the early 1990s. It has been a constant source of friction between Georgia and Russia, which opposes Tbilisi's aspirations of joining NATO and has supported the separatists without recognising their independence.

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