Russia recalls ambassador from Georgia
Russia recalled its ambassador, announced the evacuation of its diplomats and complained to the United Nations on Thursday after Georgia detained five Russian officers on spying charges, bringing relations between the ex-Soviet neighbors to a new low. Georgian authorities detained the officers Wednesday, prompting angry statements from Russia’s defense minister, who denounced Georgia as a “bandit” state. Bilateral ties long have been strained over Georgia’s bid to join NATO and Moscow’s close links to Georgia’s breakaway provinces. Russia called for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council to address the officers’ detentions, said Maria Zakharova, spokeswoman for Russia’s mission to the U.N. Full Story