EU steps needed if Russian troops stay -Sweden's Bildt

By Anna Ringstrom and Niklas Pollard

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - The European Union will need to take further action if Russia fails to withdraw its troops from Georgia in line with a ceasefire agreement, but should stop short of sanctions, Sweden's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

European Union leaders agreed at an emergency summit on Monday to postpone talks on a new EU-Russia accord due later this month until Moscow pulls its troops to pre-conflict positions in Georgia.

Carl Bildt, former United Nations special envoy to the Balkans and a vocal critic of Russia in the Georgia crisis, gave no details of what steps he favoured, but told Reuters in an interview he hoped Russia would forestall them by withdrawing.

"The determining point will be if they carry out the full withdrawal they have promised or not. If they don't do it, then of course there will be further measures of some kind," he said.

Russia crushed its southern neighbour in a brief war last month after Georgia sent troops to retake the separatist region of South Ossetia. Moscow drew Western condemnation by pushing beyond the disputed region, deploying troops well inside Georgia proper.

IT has now withdrawn most of its troops but has kept soldiers in "security zones" which include Georgian territory around South Ossetia and another breakaway region, Abkhazia.

EU leaders on Monday also condemned Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

NO SANCTIONS