Rice says Russia on path to isolation and irrelevance

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
In scathing criticism of Moscow, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Russia Thursday that its policies have put it on a path to isolation and irrelevance. Rice called on the West to stand up to Russian aggression following its invasion of Georgia last month. The State Department released excerpts of the speech to be delivered Thursday. "The attack on Georgia has crystallized the course that Russia's leaders are taking and brought us to a critical moment for Russia and the world," she said. The speech for a German Marshall Fund event reflected an escalation of rhetoric in a relationship that has deteriorated markedly since last month's war and Moscow's recognition of two breakaway regions of Georgia.