Allies consider ways of punishing Russia

SCRABBLING to find ways to punish Russia for its invasion of pro-Western Georgia, the US and its allies are considering expelling Moscow from an exclusive club of wealthy nations and canceling an upcoming joint NATO-Russia military exercise, Bush administration officials said Tuesday.

But with scant leverage in the face of an emboldened Moscow, Washington and its friends have been forced to face the uncomfortable reality that their options are limited to mainly symbolic measures, such as boycotting Russian-hosted meetings and events, that may have little or no long-term impact on Russia’s behaviour, the officials said.

With the situation on the ground still unclear US officials were focused primarily on confirming a cease-fire and attending to Georgia’s urgent humanitarian needs following five days of fierce fighting, including Russian attacks on civilian targets.