Sarah Palin, the running mate of Republican presidential candidate John McCain, on Thursday said the US would be obligated to go to war with Russia if it invaded a Nato ally – a status she advocated for Georgia, which Russia invaded last month.

Ms Palin, the self-styled “hockey mom” whose selection was criticised by Democrats and some Republicans as rash given her foreign policy inexperience, was giving her first full media interview since Mr McCain chose her last month.