British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said Russia’s decision to recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia was “unjustifiable and unacceptable” and called for “the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia.”

“It will also not work,” he said in a statement. “It is contrary to the principles of the peace agreement, which Russia recently agreed, and to recent Russian statements.  It takes no account of the views of the hundreds of thousands of Georgians and others who have been forced to abandon their homes in the two territories.”

He also said that the Russian decision “further inflames an already tense situation in the region.”

“We fully support Georgia's independence and territorial integrity, which cannot be changed by decree from Moscow,” the British foreign secretary said. “We again call on Russia to abide by international law as the basis for resolving this crisis; and to implement urgently and in full Russia's commitments to withdraw forces from Georgia to pre-7 August positions.”

“I am holding talks today with international partners and will be visiting Ukraine tomorrow to ensure the widest possible coalition against Russian aggression in Georgia,” he added.