Russian forces have tightened their control of a key highway in Georgia, a day after signing a formal ceasefire.
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The US has demanded Russian troops pull out but Moscow says it will only withdraw from Georgian territory once extra security measures are in place.
Earlier, France's president warned Moscow the ceasefire barred its forces from any "major urban area" in Georgia.
In a letter addressed to his Georgian counterpart, Nicolas Sarkozy said the ceasefire stipulated that the security measures "in no way limit or put in danger the freedom of movement and travel along the road and rail axes of Georgia" and could not be applied in any towns or cities.
"I am particularly thinking of the city of Gori," he said, referring to a town near the breakaway region of South Ossetia where Russian troops are deployed.
However, Russian troops do have the right to patrol "a few kilometres" beyond the conflict zone in South Ossetia, he said.
Conflict between Georgia and Russia erupted on 7 August when Georgia launched an assault to retake its Russian-backed separatist province of South Ossetia.
It led to a massive counter-offensive by Russia, with Russia moving deeper into Georgian territory.
Mr Sarkozy brokered the ceasefire between Georgia and Russia on behalf of the European Union earlier this week.
The US has staunchly supported Georgia.
In a telephone conversation with Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili on Saturday evening, US President George W Bush again "reiterated United States support for the government and people of Georgia", the White House said.
The German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, is due to hold talks with Mr Saakashvili in Tbilisi later on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Watch has called on the Russian authorities to immediately take steps to end attacks by South Ossetian militias on ethnic Georgians in Gori and to allow vital humanitarian aid to reach vulnerable civilians still in the area.
"The Russian military has effective control of the Gori region, making it responsible for the security and well-being of all people living there," said Rachel Denber, HRW's Europe deputy director.
Abkhazia rebels
Even as the ceasefire was being signed by Russia's president on Saturday, his country's troops were moving deeper into Georgia, giving them control of almost all the crucial roads and main towns running across Georgia from west to east.
The BBC's Richard Galpin, who has spent the past two days travelling from the Black Sea port of Poti to Tbilisi, says Georgian forces seem to be surrendering control of the highway to the Russians.
In the western town of Senaki, our correspondent saw large numbers of Russian troops moving around on Saturday.
Further east in Zestafoni, he witnessed the panic of local residents as the word spread that the Russian army was approaching.
Cars sped away from roadblocks set up by the Georgian police, the drivers realising their hopes of reaching Tbilisi had been dashed.
When the Russians arrived, they stayed only a few minutes after apparently being told there was no military base to take over.
Our correspondent says he then followed the Russian troops as they entered the central town of Khashuri, where they were given an escort by the local police.
He spoke to one Russian soldier who said he believed their final destination would be the Georgian capital itself, although the Kremlin flatly denies this. Another soldier said he expected to be in Georgia for a year.
There were at least six Russian checkpoints further east along the highway between Khashuri and Gori, and it was only about 30km from the capital, near Igoeti, that Russian-controlled territory finally ends, he says.
Georgia has meanwhile accused pro-Russian Abkhaz separatist fighters of taking over 13 villages and a hydroelectric power plant. There has so far been no independent confirmation.
Security steps
On Saturday, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev followed his Georgian counterpart in signing the ceasefire agreement.
Among the six points in the deal, both sides agreed to pull back their forces to their positions before the hostilities began on 7 August.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the "additional security measures" stipulated in the accord would be implemented "first and foremost".
Diplomats have said that the UN Security Council is expected to vote later on Sunday on a draft resolution formalising the ceasefire agreement.
President Bush has said Mr Medvedev's signing of the truce is "hopeful", but that there can be no question that South Ossetia and Abkhazia will remain within Georgian borders, which are internationally recognised.
Reports suggest Mr Saakashvili only reluctantly agreed to another of the plan's clauses - international talks about the future status of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
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