Mikhail Saakashvili on Tuesday rejected Russia’s accusations that his country was preparing for the forceful seizure of the breakaway provinces of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, accusing Moscow of fueling disputes in the region based on its old territorial claims, AP reports.

Saakashvili also refused Russian demands to more than double gas prices for his country, saying Georgia would not pay $230 per 1,000 cubic meters and would instead turn to its other neighbors. He appealed to the European Union for help in combating recent trade sanctions, deportations and threats of power cuts by Russia.

The Georgian president spoke a day after the EU said it would not recognize the results of a referendum backing the independence of South Ossetia, saying it “contradicts” Georgia’s sovereignty. The EU said the vote did not contribute to efforts for peaceful conflict resolution.

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