WASHINGTON - The United States ramped up pressure Thursday on Russia to pull out of its conflict with Georgia, amid charges that Russian forces were sabotaging military targets prior to an agreed withdrawal. US President George W Bush assured Ukraine and Lithuania on Thursday of his ironclad commitment to stand with their fellow former Soviet republic Georgia in its military showdown with Russia. Bush stressed US "solidarity" with Georgia in conversations with Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus and Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, who have denounced Moscow's actions, said White House spokeswoman Dana Perino. "All the leaders stressed the importance of standing by a sovereign, free Georgia and its territorial integrity, and agreed on the need for Russia to stop the violence, abide by the ceasefire and withdraw its forces," she said. Perino had a bluntly dismissive response to reports that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the world can "forget about" Georgian sovereignty, describing it as meaningless "bluster" with no effect on US policy. "Our position on Georgia's territorial integrity is not going to change, no matter what anybody says, and so I would consider that bluster coming from the foreign minister of Russia, and we will ignore it," she said. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates on Thursday ruled out US military force in Georgia but warned Russia of damage to its relations with Washington if it does not pull back its forces. US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, while emphatically ruling out the use of US military force, warned that relations between the US and Russia could be "adversely affected" for years unless Moscow adjusted its "aggressive posture and actions". Highlighting the "profound implications" for the entire US-Russia security relationship, Gates also said Russia would have to pay "some consequences" for its attacks on Georgia. "The days and months to come will determine the future course of US-Russian relations," Gates told a Pentagon news conference. Bush "said we will stand by them and that we will defend their freedom," the spokeswoman said, hurriedly adding that "I don't want you to think that we're sending in troops, I'm not saying that." "What I'm saying is that we have helped them help themselves and equipment is going to be critical in that regard. They've lost a lot of it," said Perino. "It was the Russians themselves who agreed to the peace plan that President Sarkozy presented on the international allies' behalf," she said. "So we would hold them to the agreement that they signed on to." Perino reiterated that US military efforts to get humanitarian aid to Georgian victims of the conflict did not mean Washington would defend Georgian infrastructure, including ports.