Britain-NATO thinks Russia violated international law

LONDON (Reuters) - Foreign Secretary David Miliband said NATO allies agreed at their emergency meeting on Tuesday that Russia had violated international law with its military incursion into neighbouring Georgia.

Speaking after the meeting in Brussels, Miliband told Sky television: "There was no division today. The NATO membership was clear that Russia had violated international law as well as the rules of the international game."

Months of tension between Georgia and Russia erupted on August 7, when Tbilisi sought to regain control of the breakaway region of South Ossetia. Russia, which backs separatists there, launched a massive counter-offensive that extended well into Georgia.

Miliband said Russia must understand the consequences of its actions. "Russia has failed to live up to its commitments, and that has serious consequences for the trust that is placed in Russia as an international partner," he said.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland. Editing by Katherine Baldwin)