US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Russia on Wednesday that it is moving into international isolation if it does not respect a cease-fire with Georgia.

"If indeed Russia is violating a cease-fire, and I have to say the reports are not encouraging about Russia's respect for the cease-fire -- for the pledge that it undertook," Rice said at a briefing before she heads to France and Georgia on the crisis.

"That will only serve to deepen the isolation into which Russia is moving," Rice said.

Earlier Wednesday, U.S. President George W. Bush announced that he is sending Rice to France to assist the diplomatic efforts on the Georgia crisis, and then to Georgia to "demonstrate our solidarity with the Georgian people."

Russia declared a halt to its military offensive in Georgia on Tuesday after days of conflicts with Georgia in its breakaway South Ossetia area. The United States has welcomed the Russian move and urged Russia to end the crisis and respect Georgia's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

Georgia's pro-Western government has been a strong US ally.

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)