Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili talked to FRANCE 24's international editor Robert Parsons on Wednesday as Russian troops still occupied parts of Georgia.

Saakashvili said Russia was trying to 'destroy' his country despite the 'promises' made to French President Nicolas Sarkozy who negotiated the peace deal signed last week by Moscow and Tbilisi.

"The Russians continue destroying my country to undermine its government, destroy its economy, scare away Europeans and Americans and end the independence of Georgia," he said.

"There are so many parallels with Czechoslovakia in 1968," he added.” They claimed they went in to protect Russian nationals. But in fact, they went in to kill democracy." "The Russians don't care about these people in South Ossetia. What they care about is grab some part of Georgia (...) and lay foundation for some kind of restoration of their so-called sphere of influence."

Russia didn't want to have "[Georgia] in its backyard that has a European political system, a European way of life, a non-corrupt government and people that are free. They saw it as a mortal threat."

Watch Robert Parson's FRANCE 24's  interview with President Saakashvili by clicking on video above.