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Nato meets Russia

Published:Tuesday | August 19, 2008 | 9:45 AM

Nato foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels for an emergency summit to discuss how the alliance should respond to Russia\'s military action in Georgia.



On the eve of the meeting, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the West must deprive Russia of any strategic victory from its assault on Georgia.



Analysts said major differences remain among Nato members as to how far they should go in seeking to punish Russia.



The conflict broke out on August 7, when Georgia launched an assault to wrest back control of the Moscow-backed breakaway region of South Ossetia.



This triggered a counter-offensive by Russian troops who advanced beyond South Ossetia into Georgia\'s heartland.



A ceasefire was signed at the weekend, with Moscow pledging to begin pulling back its troops on Monday, but there are reports that there has so far been little sign of any large-scale force withdrawal.



Moscow denies the claims Russian troops are not pulling out, as pledged.