Rice: Russia not complying with cease-fire

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday the Russian government has yet to comply with a cease-fire agreement in Georgia.

Appearing on "Fox News Sunday," Rice said that while Russia has not fully complied with the agreement, it did announce a troop withdrawal from the war-torn country starting Monday.

"Well, there is a cease-fire, and Russia is currently not in compliance with that cease-fire, although they have just this morning announced that their troops will begin to withdraw and withdraw fully and completely back to the lines prior to this conflict tomorrow, on Monday," Rice said.

Rice criticized Russia for not immediately withdrawing its troops, who currently are stationed within 25 miles of the Georgian capital of Tbilisi.

"It's not acceptable," she said. "In fact, the fact that Russian troops are in Georgian cities, the fact that they are at the port of Poti, back and forth in that port, along the east-west highway is simply not acceptable, and it has nothing to do, obviously, with the conflict that began in South Ossetia. That's why Russian troops need to withdraw fully, completely, back to their Aug.t 6-7 lines."