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Europe raises fears of wider Russia confrontation
Paris (AFP) Aug 27, 2008 European leaders raised fears Wednesday that Russia could set its sights on other neighbouring countries after recognising two Georgian rebel regions as independent states. Ukraine and Moldova are both vulnerable, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said as Russia shrugged off a welter of condemnation from the West with even China saying it was concerned at Russia's actions. Russia has breached international law by recognising the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Kouchner said in a French radio interview. "It's very dangerous. There are other objectives that one can suppose are the objectives of Russia, in particular Crimea, Ukraine and Moldova," Kouchner declared. On a visit to Kiev, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband warned the Ukraine government against provoking Russia. He said Ukraine must act "not to provide any pretext for Russian actions because of course the Russians have used those pretexts in the Georgian case and it's important to not repeat that." The southern Ukrainian region of Crimea is mainly populated by ethnic Russians and houses the Russian Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol. Transdniestr, in eastern Moldova, fought a brief independence war after the Soviet Union's collapse but is not internationally recognised. It hosts a contingent of Russian troops. The European Union should clearly support Ukraine's membership of the bloc to prevent it from becoming a Russian target, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said. "Ukraine could be the next target of political pressure by Russia, whose doctrine on its nearby neighbours is reminiscent of sphere politics," Rehn said in a speech to Finnish ambassadors. The Georgian conflict was a stark reminder that Russia is the EU's biggest foreign policy challenge, he said. China became the latest major power to express worry about events in Georgia. "China is concerned of the latest development in South Ossetia and Abkhazia," the official Xinhua news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang as saying. China had avoided taking a public stand on the war, but China's President Hu Jintao met with Medvedev on Wednesday in Dushanbe ahead of a Central Asian summit. The United States has taken a lead role against Russia, sending warships with aid to Georgia and taking part in NATO naval exercises in the Black Sea. US President George W. Bush demanded Russia reverse its "irresponsible decision" to recognise South Ossetia and Abkhazia. He warned that "Russia's action only exacerbates tensions and complicates diplomatic negotiations" on Georgia. The European Union is to hold a special summit on the Georgia crisis in Brussels on Monday and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who brokered a Russia-Georgia ceasefire as current president of the EU, called on Russia to pull back its forces to positions they held before the conflict. "The military forces which have not yet pulled back to the lines they held before the hostilities must move without delay," he told a meeting of France's ambassadors. "Nobody wants to go back to the time of the Cold War. NATO is not an adversary but a partner of Russia," he said. Poland has been strongly critical of Russia and its foreign minister Radoslaw Sikorski said Russia would lose any confrontation but the West must avoid a new Cold War. "I would prefer to see Russia cooperate and integrate with the broadly defined West, but if it seeks confrontation, it will lose again," Sikorski told Poland's Dziennik daily. "As Europe, we are 10 times richer than Russia, and along with the United States, 20 times," he said. Hungary and the Czech Republic, like Poland former members of the Soviet bloc, lined up with Georgia in their latest comments. Japan denounced Russia but downplayed fears of a new Cold War. "The international community will not accept Russia's recognition of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. It is regrettable to hear of the unilateral recognition," Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said. "But it's not realistic to say the issue will lead to a revival of the Cold War," said the Japanese government's spokesman. burs/tw/ag Related Links
Russian show of force complicates Georgia's NATO ambitions
Brussels (AFP) Aug 27, 2008Russia's show of force in the Caucasus has vastly complicated Georgia's efforts to join NATO but the military alliance remains determined not to cave in to Moscow, experts say. |
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