Moscow, Aug 29: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said that the Georgia conflict may have been orchestrated by US President George Bush in a bid to get his party’s presidential nominee John McCain win this November election.

Though Putin did not specify which candidate he was talking about, but there was no doubt that he was referring to Senator John McCain, the Republican presidential dandidate, reported the New York Times.

Moscow  - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Thursday accused the United States of plotting this month's war in Georgia.

Putin told CNN the fighting was triggered by politicians in Washington in an attempt to give an advantage one of the competing US presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama.

The former president gave no evidence to support his statements, which he called "conjecture," but said the US action forced Russia's hand.

New York  - The UN Security Council met behind closed doors Thursday to discuss the crisis in Georgia, the first meeting of the powerful body since Russia recognized the independence of the two breakaway provinces at the heart of the military conflict.

Russia's decision on Tuesday to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia, contrary to previsous Security Council resolutions, drew swift condemnation from the United States and European Union.

Paris  - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner on Thursday said European nations were considering imposing sanctions against Russia as a result of its actions in Georgia.

Addressing journalists three days before an emergency EU summit in Brussels, Kouchner said "sanctions were being considered, as well as other means" to address the issue, but he did not specify.

"I, myself, would not anticipate sanctions (being imposed), while the meeting has not yet taken place," said Kouchner. France is currently president of the Union and has been at the forefront of the EU's attempts to resolve the crisis.

It was the first time France has brought up the possibility of sanctions against Moscow.

Vienna - At a special meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) that started on Thursday, Georgia's Foreign Minister was set to address Russia's recognition of Georgian separatist regions.

The Permanent Council, the OSCE's decision-making body, would hear Ekaterine Tkeshelashvili's speech and discuss Moscow's recognition of independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, a source close to the OSCE said.

The body would probably also deliberate on the modalities of sending up to 100 additional observers to Georgia, he said.

London, Aug. 28 : Russian-backed paramilitaries are “ethnically cleansing” villages on Georgian soil, The Times quoted refugees and officials, as saying.

South Ossetian militiamen have torched houses, beaten elderly people and even murdered civilians in the lawless buffer zone set up by the Russian Army just north of Gori.

The violence, close to the border with the breakaway republic recognized by Russia this week as independent, has prompted a new wave of refugees into Gori, 40 miles north of Tbilisi.