Just last weekend, he accepted an invitation from Georgian leader Mikhail Saakashvili to visit the former Soviet republic during its tense standoff with Russia.
Russian forces pushed troops from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia out of a key town 50 miles from the Georgian capital Monday, prompting a plea from President Bush that Russia accept Georgia's move toward a peace agreement.
Interfax said that another 500 Russian soldiers had been dispatched to the Georgian-Chechen border in order to intercept any Chechen attempt to escape south into the former Soviet republic.