Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice plans Wednesday to sign a deal to build a U.S. missile defense base on Polish soil, an agreement that has already prompted an infuriated Russia to threaten its former Soviet satellite.
Russia's foreign minister warned Ukrainian leaders Tuesday against trying to restrict the Kremlin's use of a Crimean naval base it leases from Ukraine, adding to tensions that have heated up since Russian troops invaded Georgia.
Russia is countering a French push for immediate withdrawal of Russian troops from Georgia by circulating a competing U.N. Security Council resolution.
The Bush administration said Wednesday there are "early signs" of a Russian troop withdrawal from war-battered Georgia but that it is not significant and needs to increase.
Russia took the first steps toward a troop pullback from Georgia on Tuesday but at the same time paraded blindfolded and bound Georgian prisoners on armored vehicles and seized four U.S. Humvees.
The Beijing Olympics have left the world's human rights groups frustrated and angry _ convinced that China has been let off the hook for serious abuses, and adamant that future hosts like Russia must be held to a higher standard.
Georgia's president has told The Associated Press he does not believe Russia will fulfill its promise to withdraw from most of the country in the coming days.
