BRUSSELS - EU LEADERS gathered on Monday for an emergency summit on Georgia, seeking a unified condemnation of Russia's military action there while avoiding a Cold War-style freeze in ties.

However divisions quickly emerged with Britain calling for a suspension of EU-Russia partnership talks while Italy championed a softer approach. Russia has warned it will retaliate against any EU action that threatens its interests.

'We are clear that in advance of the conclusions of the fundamental review of the EU's relations with Russia, we should suspend negotiations on a successor to the partnership and cooperation agreement between the EU and Russia,' British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's spokesman said.

Mr Brown on Sunday urged a 'root and branch' review of EU relations with Russia.

However Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, in a newspaper article on Monday, said Russia is not a 'hostile' country.

'If some countries think that we can sever ties with Russia they should explain how we shall then deal with issues like Iran's nuclear' drive, Frattini told the Corriere della Sera newspaper.

A more cautious approach is also favoured by France and Germany, eager not to ruin ties with Russia which provides Europe with important energy supplies and whose support is wanted on other international issues such as Iran.

The three-hour summit is the first chance for the European leaders to discuss the crisis since Russia entered Georgia on August 8, one day after Georgia's bid to bring the breakaway South Ossetia region back under central control.

Since then Moscow has recognised both South Ossetia and the other breakaway Georgian republic of Abkhazia.

On the eve of the summit, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev maintained a tough line, warning that Moscow was ready to retaliate against sanctions and that there was 'no turning back' on his decision to recognise the rebel regions, which has been fiercely condemned by the West.

'We are not advocates of sanctions and consider them to be a last resort,' Mr Medvedev said.

Despite their differences, the leaders of the 27-nation block were expected to agree a pledge of aid to Georgia and discuss sending observers there but sanctions against Russia were unlikely.

The EU leaders will though examine ways to bolster Georgia's economy, and kickstart work on a free-trade area, as well as propose easing visa restrictions for Georgian citizens.

The European Union also hopes to launch an observer mission to Georgia within weeks, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said.

To coincide with the extraordinary EU summit, the first since the Iraq war in 2003, tens of thousands of people were expected to stage anti-Russia rallies in Georgia and major European cities.

'Russia's attachment to a relationship of understanding and cooperation with the rest of Europe is in question,' French leader Nicolas Mr Sarkozy said in the official invitation to European heads of state and government.

'It's up to Russia to make a fundamental choice in this respect,' added President Sarkozy, whose country holds the EU's rotating presidency.

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said Sarkozy wants to travel to Moscow and Tbilisi in a bid to resolve the crisis which has sparked talk of a new Cold War.

Mr Sarkozy brokered a six point ceasefire agreement that ended the five day war between Russia and Georgia in August.

A source in Mr Sarkozy's office said the leaders would state 'that the six-point deal must be applied in its entirety'.

In a change of stance, Georgia said on Sunday that it was not looking for EU sanctions against Russia. 'For us, European sanctions against Russia are not a priority,' Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said. -- AFP

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