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Nato split over reprisals for Russia's aggression
Paul Waugh, Deputy Political Editor19.08.08
Foreign Secretary David Miliband today warned that Russia would "pay the cost of adventurism and aggression" for its invasion of Georgia.
As Nato ministers gathered for an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss the crisis, Mr Miliband said Moscow's economy could suffer as a result of the conflict.
The meeting was expected to support Georgia and reiterate a promise of future membership while urging Moscow to respect an EU-brokered peace deal.
But as Georgia complained that Russian tanks had failed to withdraw to the breakaway province of Southern Ossetia, the Western alliance appeared split over the form of any reprisal.
The US is leading calls for a tough response and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was expected to push for an end to high-level meetings with Moscow and military co-operation.
But some EU states, particularly France and Germany, want to maintain lines of communication with Russia and Mr Miliband warned against attempts by Russia to drive a wedge between Nato allies.
Russia's ambassador to Nato Dmitri Rogozin warned that "an anti-Russian propaganda campaign" could jeopardise security co-operation. He said he hoped the "decisions by Nato will be balanced and that responsible forces in the West will give up the total cynicism that has been so evident [which] is pushing us back to the Cold War era".
Mr Miliband said today that he wanted Nato to give Georgia "serious co-operation militarily and politically" as part of a route map to eventual membership of the alliance.
He rejected David Cameron's call for Russia to be expelled from the G8 because that would "encourage Russia's sense of victimhood". But the G7 should act without Russia if it flouted international law.
A senior US official said Nato would have to rethink a meeting with Russia's defence minister in October, regular military consultations in areas like counter-terrorism, managing air space and rescue at sea. "Russia will pay a price," Ms Rice said before the talks.
Months of tension between Georgia and Russia erupted this month, when Tbilisi tried to regain control of the Russian-backed breakaway South Ossetia region. Russia launched a massive counter-offensive, including an incursion into the Georgian heartland.
