After the talks, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer warned that the NATO-Russia Council will not convene at any level "as long as Russian forces are basically occupying a large part of Georgia."

However, he said the alliance certainly does not intend to cut off all contact and close all doors of communication with Russia, but added that future relations "will depend on Russia."

The NATO ministers also reaffirmed their plans to eventually accept Georgia, whose bid to join the group was rebuffed at the alliance's April summit in Bucharest, as a member.

Soon after the NATO declaration, Russia announced it would not participate in the NATO-led Open Spirit 2008 naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, and would refuse to receive a U.S. warship in the far eastern port of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

Meanwhile, Russian-U.S. relations further deteriorated due to Poland's recent signing of a deal to allow the deployment of U.S. anti-ballistic missile components on its soil, a move Moscow regards a threat to its national security.

The agreement, which brings to a close 18 months of tough bargaining, gained momentum from the ongoing tension between Russia and Georgia, according to Polish media.

However, given its dependence on Russia on such international issues as anti-terrorism and nuclear non-proliferation, the United States is not likely to take extreme action against Russia, analysts believe.

Likewise, Russia would not like a return to the Cold War times as it is pursuing peaceful development.

(Xinhua News Agency August 27, 2008)