A first unit of Russian troops withdrew from a base in the hills outside the Georgian city of Gori on Tuesday, as Nato said business as usual with Moscow was impossible until Russia had fully pulled out of Georgia.

In the latest expression of western anger over Russia’s assault to drive Georgian forces from South Ossetia and another separatist region, Abkhazia, Nato foreign ministers told Moscow to expect a deterioration in relations. ”We have determined that we cannot continue with business as usual,” the western alliance said in a statement after a crisis meeting in Brussels. ”We call on Russia to demonstrate – both in word and deed – its continued commitment to the principles upon which we agreed to base our relationship.”