Russia–South Ossetia relations the federal laws, as President of the Russian Federation it is my duty to protect the lives and dignity of Russian citizens wherever they may be." After five days of fighting, on 12 August French President Nicolas Sarkozy brokered a ceasefire agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, Russia agreed to withdraw from "security zones" in Georgia proper by 10 October. Russia completed the withdrawal on 8 October 2008. On 21 August 2008, the same day as a similar event in Abkhazia, a rally was held in Tskhinval at which the people of South Ossetia appealed to Russian President Dmitry
International recognition of Abkhazia and South Ossetia on 28 August 2008 argued that Medvedev's decree was "a blow below the belt" for Russia's ally Serbia. "If the changes in Abkhazia and South Ossetia occurred, as Russia claims, in accordance with the example set in Kosovo, then that means that Russia has indirectly admitted that Kosovo’s departure from Serbia was lawful." In September 2009, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, when asked by journalists why Abkhazia and South Ossetia should be internationally recognised and Kosovo not, said that "the strongest argument is the fact that at the time when Kosovo’s authorities made the UDI, nobody