U.S.: no effect from Russia tension on North Korea talks

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The strained ties between Russia and the United States over Georgia have not affected their efforts to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons program, the White House said on Tuesday.

"It is not in Russia's interest to have a nuclear armed nation on its border, on the Korean peninsula," White House spokesman Tony Fratto told reporters in Texas where President George W. Bush is at his ranch.

"I'm not aware of any degradation of our cooperation with respect to the six-party talks," he said, referring to China, Russia, Japan and South Korea which are involved in disarmament talks with Pyongyang along with the United States.

(Reporting by Jeremy Pelofsky, Editing by Sandra Maler)