European Union leaders will debate next week whether to reward Russia for withdrawing its forces from security zones in Georgia by resuming talks with the Kremlin on a long-term partnership agreement.

The argument pits countries such as France, Germany, Italy and Spain, which are eager to bring relations with Russia back to normal, against others such as the Baltic states, Hungary, Poland, Sweden and the UK, which say it is too early to lift a measure imposed less than six weeks ago.