Russian Parliament Backs Regions in Georgia

Georgia says the continuing Russian military presence is a violation of the cease-fire agreement that ended the fighting, and the United States and its European allies have threatened to banish Moscow from international economic and political institutions if it does not withdraw the troops. NATO has already said it would not do "business as usual" with Russia until it complies with the cease-fire agreement.

But in remarks broadcast on national television, Medvedev described Russia's partnership with NATO as an "illusion" and said the country could survive without it. "It is NATO, not Russia, that is primarily interested in NATO-Russia cooperation," he said. "If they choose to break off this relationship, even the whole of it, nothing terrible will happen."

Putin was quoted by the news agency RIA Novosti as saying that Russia should back off some of the commitments it has made during negotiations to enter the World Trade Organization. "We don't feel or see any advantages from membership, if they exist at all," Putin said.

South Ossetia and Abkhazia have each enjoyed de facto autonomy within Georgia for more than a decade under cease-fire agreements that ended ethnic violence that broke out in the two regions after the fall of the Soviet Union. Russia at the time adopted a neutral position and stationed peacekeepers in both enclaves.

But Moscow began to side with the separatist regions as Georgia became an ally of the United States, and Russian talk of recognizing the breakaway provinces intensified after the West endorsed Kosovo's independence from Serbia over the Kremlin's objections.

Finer reported from Tbilisi, Georgia.