Russia's envoy to NATO confirmed today that Moscow had temporarily frozen military co-operation with the alliance, RIA Novosti news agency reported. The Russian leadership was to hold a meeting tomorrow to make a formal decision on its relations with the alliance in the wake of the Georgia crisis, Ambassador Dmitry Rogozin said.

"Co-operation with NATO is a complex issue and until the Russian political leadership makes a decision on its future, the defence ministry has frozen military co-operation with the alliance," Mr Rogozin was quoted by RIA as saying.

A NATO spokesman earlier said in Brussels that Russia had received formal notice that Moscow was halting military co-operation.

NATO foreign ministers decided Tuesday to suspend work in a NATO-Russia co-operation council, and Russia immediately responded by cancelling joint exercises with NATO members.

Russian forces repelled an August 7 attack by Georgian troops on the Russian-backed separatist Georgian region of South Ossetia. Russia has since been criticised in the West for pushing too far into Georgia proper and allegedly failing to adhere to a French-brokered ceasefire accord.

Russia says it is respecting the accord to the letter and has dismissed the charges from the West as one-sided to favour Georgia, a key US ally.