CRAWFORD, TEXAS - The United States on Sunday accused Russia of stalling its military pullback in Georgia, but the Bush administration is not rushing to repudiate Moscow for its actions.

The White House is struggling to figure out the best way to penalize Russia. It doesn't want to deeply damage existing cooperation on many fronts or discourage Moscow from further integrating itself into global economic and political institutions. At the same time, U.S. officials say Russia can't be allowed to get away with invading its neighbor.

"There's no doubt there will be further consequences," said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who briefed President Bush on the fast-changing crisis over the weekend at his Texas ranch.

She returned to Washington on Sunday and is flying to Europe today to talk with NATO allies about what message the West should send to Russia. Russia can't use "disproportionate force" against its neighbor and still be welcomed into the halls of international institutions, Rice said.

"It's not going to happen that way," she said. "Russia will pay a price."

But neither Rice nor Defense Secretary Robert Gates would be specific about what punitive actions the U.S. or the international community might take.

"We're going to take our time and assess what further consequences there should be to the relationship," Rice said.

The U.S. wants to take a tough stance against Russia, but there is much at stake.

"The facts are that the United States has to work with Russia on Iran, on nuclear problems of proliferation, on a whole raft of trade issues at a time in which the United States has a huge domestic deficit," said Sen. Richard Lugar, the senior Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Yet holding open the prospect of taking steps against Russia gives the U.S. some leverage in pushing Russia to withdraw from Georgia.

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