South Ossetian President Eduard Kokoity said he thinks Georgia will step up what he described as provocative acts aimed at ending the Russian peacekeeping mission in the region. \"The latest steps taken by Tbilisi on South Ossetian territory, including mortar strikes at Tskhinvali, are aimed at escalating tensions and changing the format of the peacekeeping mission in the Georgian-South Ossetian conflict zone,\" Kokoity told Interfax on Tuesday. \"Provocative acts will intensify as we approach February - the Georgian Parliament\'s date for the beginning of the final stage of the Russian peacekeeping mission,\" he said. \"We need to understand that the withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers will lead to a sharp escalation in tension in the conflict zone, however, South Ossetia is ready to use its army to assume control of the border with Georgia and protect its independence should Russian peacekeepers leave,\" Kokoity said. (Interfax)