Русская версияWith memories of Soviet domination still fresh in the minds of
regional leaders, mistrust of Moscow has only increased throughout
central Europe since Vladimir Putin became president in 2000.
The
new conflict in South Ossetia has not allayed any fears.
"Together with the bombs falling on Georgian cities ... the hope
for a normal neighbor in the east has been ruined," said Poland's
Dziennik
newspaper in a commentary on Monday, Aug. 11.
"Those who have warned that Russia is an unpredictable partner were
proven right," the article said, according to a translation by
Reuters news agency. "[Russia is] driven by neo-imperial ambitions
and unable to treat neighbors, especially those who had been in its
sphere of influence, as partners."
Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg likewise caused shivers
when he drew comparisons to the Russian strike inside Georgia with
the bloody crackdown to prevent Czechoslovakia from leaving the
Soviet orbit following the so-called Prague Spring.
"It's basically the Putin doctrine," said Svante Cornell of the
Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm.
"Restoring Russian control over the former Soviet Union,
irrespective of what those countries want, which is why this is so
reminiscent of the episodes in Prague in 1968 and Budapest in
1956."
Calls on the EU to oppose Russian "imperialism"
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Georgia's EU envoy asked the EU to freeze talks with Russia for a
"strategic partnership"
These sentiments come on the heels of a weekend statement made by
Latvia's President Valdis Zatlers and his counterparts from
Estonia, Lithuania and Poland in which the former Soviet states
called on the EU and NATO to oppose Russia's "imperialist" policy
towards Georgia.
"The Russian attacks against Georgia unavoidably confront us with
the task of reviewing several aspects of current cooperation
between the EU and Russia," Estonian President Toomas Ilves later
told EU foreign affairs chief Javier Solana.
"Russia's military strikes in Georgia toll a knell for many of
Europe's hopes, such as the possibility of sharing common
fundamental values with Russia," Ilves said.
Russia's ambassador to Latvia hit back, however, warning the Baltic
states and Poland that they would pay for their criticism of the
Kremlin over the conflict in Georgia, the Baltic news agency BNS
reported.
"One must not hurry on such serious issues, as serious mistakes can
be made that have to be paid for a long time afterwards," Alexander
Veshnyakov was quoted as saying by BNS.
A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Riga confirmed the
ambassador's comments to the AFP news agency but declined to
elaborate.
Georgia asks for greater EU support
The Baltic states' call for the EU to reconsider its strategic
partnership with Russia echoes cries made by Georgia's envoy to the
EU, Salome Samadashvili, on Monday.
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Georgians gathered in Brussels to protest Russia's actions
"There has not been a properly worded public official statement
that would tell them (Russia) clearly that they have to stop and
they risk their future relationship with the EU if they don't," she
told reporters in Brussels.
Calling the situation "extremely difficult," she said the EU should
make use of all its political and economic clout.
"There are (economic) measures and there are political costs,"
Samadashvili said. "It should be made clear that the Russian
Federation should bear these costs" if it continues its attacks on
Georgia.
Meanwhile, around 300 Georgians gathered outside Russia's EU
mission in Brussels to call for an end to the hostilities. The
protesters unfurled Georgian flags and chanted "Russia, state
terrorist" and "Putin, terrorist." They also held up banners
depicting tanks with slogans such as "no Soviet Union" and "shame
on you Russia."
(Deutsche Welle)
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