Stand up to Russia, says Cameron

Mr Cameron visited Tbilisi earlier this month

Conservative leader David Cameron has said the world must not "look away" from Russia's behaviour in Georgia.

He urged the West to "stand up" to Russia and said EU talks on a strategic partnership should be suspended.

In a speech in Kiev, Foreign Secretary David Miliband urged Russia not to start a new Cold War.

Russia's formal recognition of the independence of Georgia's two breakaway regions has been condemned by Western leaders.

Mr Cameron said he applauded the foreign secretary for going to Ukraine and sending a "strong statement".

'Confront aggression'

He said Russia needed to be aware "this is not a way to behave to bring peace and stability to that region" and said they were "taking the rest of the world for a ride".

"We have got to confront that aggression and take a series of steps to point out to the Russians the errors of their ways," he told the BBC.

SOUTH OSSETIA & ABKHAZIA South Ossetia Population: About 70,000 (before recent conflict) Capital: Tskhinvali President: Eduard Kokoity Abkhazia Population: About 250,000 (2003) Capital: Sukhumi President: Sergei Bagapsh Profile: South Ossetia Profile: Abkhazia Q&A: Conflict in Georgia

He said he was not talking about a military response but Russia had to be told "if you behave like this the rest of the world cannot and must not look away".

Mr Cameron, who visited Georgia this month, said EU heads of government should suspend talks on an EU-Russia strategic partnership when they meet on Monday.

He also supported speeding up negotiations on a free trade agreement between Georgia and the EU - as a way of demonstrating to Georgia "how she is valued by European nations".

"The only language that a bully understands is when someone stands up and says: 'Look, what you have done is wrong'."

Fighting between Russia and Georgia began on 7 August after the Georgian military tried to retake its Russian-backed breakaway province of South Ossetia by force.

The Russians launched a counter attack, Georgian troops were ejected from South Ossetia and Abkhazia and the EU brokered a ceasefire. Most of Russia's forces pulled out of the rest of Georgia but some remain in the two rebel regions and in buffer zones around them.

Georgia has accused Russia of trying to "change Europe's borders by force".

Mr Miliband, who is in Kiev amid concerns that the Ukraine could be the next flashpoint, called for "hard headed engagement" with Russia by the EU and Nato.

He rejected calls for Russia to be expelled from the G8, but did suggest the EU and Nato needed to review relations with Russia.

"The Russian president says he is not afraid of a new Cold War," he said.

"We don't want one. He has a big responsibility not to start one."

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has said Moscow was obliged to recognise the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia following the "genocide" started by Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili in South Ossetia in August.