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MR. JOHNDROE: Good morning. We're on our way to Texas. You have the President's statement from earlier on the situation in Georgia. Before that he received his daily intelligence briefings, and also spoke to President Ilves of Estonia about the situation in Georgia. This is one of the many phone calls the President has had with other leaders regarding the situation over the last week.

I'm happy to do the week ahead at the end of the gaggle. Any questions? Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: We've had high-level contact with the leaders of Russia. Secretary Rice has spoken to her counterparts. Obviously Secretary Rice is overseas now, just having been in France to meet President Sarkozy, and now in Tbilisi, Georgia. So the effort involves working with the rest of the international community to have an agreement between the Russians and the Georgians. And so there will be an appropriate time to have additional high-level contacts with the Russians.

But the Russians know our position. I mean, the President spoke to both Prime Minister Putin and President Medvedev a few days ago and has repeatedly made our -- the United States' position clear. So there's no doubt about where we stand, and no doubt whether they know where we stand or not. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: No, I think it's important to continue to send the strong message. And this isn't a message solely to the Kremlin, and as I said, I think the Russian leadership knows exactly where President Bush and the United States and the international community stand. But when the President speaks, he's sending a signal to the rest of the world, also sending a signal especially to countries that have recently transitioned to democracy, sending a message that the United States will stand with you and to stay strong. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: We are -- we need to see where this all ends up, see where -- we are hopeful that we can continue cooperation with the Russians, but a lot of this -- and that's across the board. But a lot of this depends on Russia and what Russia's actions are in the near future. Right now, their actions have been inconsistent with the premise that we and those in Europe and around the world have, inconsistent with the fundamental principles of a Europe whole, free, and at peace. So cooperation on a wide range of issues going forward depends on the actions that Russia takes. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: You know, to step back I think to the broader point of your question, let me answer it this way: Our immediate focus is that the violence stop, the Russian forces withdraw, we get back to the status quo ante of August 6th. There will be a time and a place to deal with what the repercussions of all this is.

But we will continue to work with the G7 partners because those are the countries that you would naturally work with. Many of them -- those are our NATO allies. Those are EU countries. So when we work with our G7 partners, we're working with France, UK, Italy, Germany. So these are the appropriate countries to be working with to deal with the situation with Russia. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Well -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: -- but this is based on -- we are working with these countries because of the actions that Russia has taken. So these are the natural allies that we would work with and that we're standing with to deal with the situation with Russia. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: It's a combination. They are NATO, they are EU, and they are G7 allies. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: There will be a time and a place to deal with the consequences and the repercussions of Russia's actions. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Right now our focus is on the immediate issue of the Russian troops withdrawing, that there be a cessation of violence. And that is where our focus will remain in the immediate -- in this immediate time period. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: You know, what -- let me defer on that. Secretary Rice has just been addressing this issue in Tbilisi. Anything that is in what is -- what many consider undisputed territory would need to be limited in scope and in time. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Yes, early Saturday morning Texas time. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: At 8:00 a.m. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Secretary Gates, and Steve Hadley, the National Security Advisor, will join by secure video. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: I'll have to check tomorrow. We'll certainly let you know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: We'll let you know, but I would expect most likely a statement, but we'll let you know. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Yes, most likely, after he's received an update. But we'll let you -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Okay. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: We'll get you a full list tomorrow, but likely the -- you know, the President's top national security team. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: I want to say, in these conversations, I think both the President and the leader of whether it would be Estonia or Lithuania or the other countries that he's spoken with are in lockstep and in total agreement that Russia needs to withdraw its forces, and that we need to stand with Georgia -- the democratically elected government of Georgia and the people of Georgia. So the conversations have really been about the need for everyone to remain standing together and standing strong for Georgia. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: In Sochi. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: She had a long-scheduled meeting with President Medvedev in Sochi, and they had a press conference this morning, but I have not had a chance to see all of it. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: We've seen the press reports you're referring to, but these are all matters for the Pakistani political system and for the Pakistanis to deal with. We certainly hope that any actions that they take are consistent with their -- with the rule of law and constitutional principles, but I want to be clear these are matters for the Pakistanis to determine. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: And I don't have anything for you on that.

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MR. JOHNDROE: Nothing else on the schedule today. And we'll keep you updated on the specific schedule for tomorrow's meeting on the situation in Georgia. And then -- let me go ahead and do the week ahead, since you asked. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Why don't we just -- why don't we play it by ear, see what sort of readout you get from the meeting, and we go from there. But I'm fundamentally opposed to gaggling on the weekends. (Laughter.) So -- Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Yes. But anyway, as far as the schedule for the rest of the week, the President travels on Wednesday to Orlando, Florida, to make remarks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention. Then he will travel to New Orleans, Louisiana, to make remarks on Gulf Coast recovery and to talk about his commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast. And then we'll travel to Mississippi and have a dinner there with community leaders, before returning to Crawford on Wednesday night. Read more Comment (0), Email this.

MR. JOHNDROE: Radio topic is on Georgia.

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MR. JOHNDROE: He recorded it this morning.

All right, thank you all. Read more Comment (0), Email this.