Russian treaty with rebel Georgian region alarms West

MOSCOW (Reuters) - President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty with Georgia's rebel South Ossetia region on Wednesday that almost completely integrates it with Russia, alarming Georgia and the West a year after Moscow took over Crimea.

Tbilisi described the "alliance and integration" treaty as a "move aimed at annexation" and the United States and European Union said they would not recognise the agreement, which the EU depicted as a threat to regional security and stability.