Bush warns Russia against bullying and intimidating neighbours

Washington: US President George W. Bush on Friday sternly warned Russia against "bullying and intimidation" of its neighbours and vowed Washington would not back down in its support for embattled ally Georgia.

Bush called on Russia to fulfil its pledge to withdraw troops from Georgia and to pursue cooperation with neighbouring states instead of what he called a Cold War-era approach of confrontation.

Invasion

"Moscow must honour its commitment to withdraw its invading forces from all Georgian territory," a solemn Bush said outside the Oval Office.

"Bullying and intimidation are not acceptable ways to conduct foreign policy in the 21st century," he said.

The president ratcheted up the rhetoric amid mounting East-West tensions over Russia's military presence in Georgia as US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Tbilisi for talks on a ceasefire deal in Georgia.

Rice said: "The verbal assurance that President Medvedev gave that Russian military operations had stopped... clearly was not honoured."

Meanwhile, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili says he has signed a ceasefire agreement with Russia that protects the former Soviet republic's interests despite concessions to Moscow.