Russia will be isolated until it learns respect for the sovereignty of other countries, NATO Deputy Secretary General Alexander Vershbow said.

"Our long-term objective still remains to encourage Russia to act responsibly and opt for cooperation; to be a country that works within the international community to solve common problems," the NATO press service quoted Vershbow as saying in Seoul.

"But to do so it must come back into compliance with the rules and it must respect the sovereignty of other nations, including their right to choose their own destiny - even if Russia disagrees with those choices," he said.

"Until such a time, Russia must know that it is isolated," Vershbow said.

"Although we can point to many bright spots in NATO's cooperation with Russia (bringing peace to the Balkans, countering terrorism and proliferation), the picture today is very gloomy," he indicated.