NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said he “reject[ed] the decision of the Russian Government to extend recognition to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia.”

“Russia’s actions in recent weeks call into question Russia’s commitment to peace and security in the Caucasus.  NATO firmly supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Georgia, and calls on Russia to respect these principles,” he said in a statement.

He also said that Russia’s decision was in direct violation of numerous UN Security Council resolutions regarding Georgia’s territorial integrity, “resolutions that Russia itself has endorsed.”