Putin spokesman denies Saakashvili threat

The Russian prime minister's spokesman has denied that Vladimir Putin made a crude threat about the Georgian leader during the South Ossetian conflict. Media reports this week have been speculating whether Putin made a hanging jibe about Mikhail Sakashvil

The comments were allegedly made during a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy during negotiations for a ceasefire in Georgia.

According to President Sarkozy's chief adviser, Jean-David Levitte, in a recent interview in Le Nouvel Observateur magazine, Putin made crude remarks during emergency ceasefire talks in Moscow on August 12.

However, while admitting the discussion was heated, the Russian prime minister’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov rejected Putin resorted to bad language.

“This meeting took place in August in the Kremlin, presidents Medvedev and Sarkozy were present at it as well as the Russian prime minister. He really resorted to very tough rhetoric concerning Saakashvili and his regime – that’s what I can confirm.”