The rift over Georgia between Russia and Western powers on the United Nations Security Council burst back into full view Monday night when Russia vetoed a resolution that would have extended the U.N. observer mission in Georgia, CNN reported.
The observer force had been in existence since 1993, but Russia claims that the mission was invalidated by last year's conflict over breakaway regions in Georgia. The veto ends the mission's legal mandate and leaves its future unclear.
"The U.N. mission's previous mandate has actually ceased to exist in the wake of Georgia's aggression against South Ossetia last August," said Vitaly Churkin, Russia's U.N. ambassador, who said it was "unacceptable" to extend the mission.
Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war last August over the breakaway Georgian provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia - the first time Russia sent troops abroad in anger since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Both sides blame the other for starting the conflict.
Western powers, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France backed the Georgian government in a conflict that rekindled Cold War sentiments.
The European Union launched a probe to determine how the war began that is due to be completed by the end of next month.
The crux of the current controversy remains Georgia's territorial integrity. As a result of last year's war, Russia now considers South Ossetia and Abkhazia sovereign nations independent from Georgia. Russia has no international support for that position aside from the nation of Nicaragua.
The Georgian ambassador to the United Nations, Kakha Lomaia, addressed the Security Council following the vote, saying his nation deeply regrets the apparent end of the mission. He called Russia's position "unconstructive."