Русская версия"We hope that reasonableness prevails," Putin said of the EU's
planned summit meeting in an interview with Germany's ARD public
television on Friday, Aug.
29. "The issue of sanctions is not
something we don't care about."
Putin said Russia intended to withdraw its soldiers from the buffer
zone they had taken over in uncontested Georgian territory as soon
as the crisis de-escalates.
He denied as "an outright lie" suggestions that Moscow had stepped
up the conflict in order to force Georgian President Mikhail
Saakashvili out of office, but said he believed Saakashvili should
step down.
"He ought not to be in public office," said Putin. "He ought to
resign immediately."
Gorbachev calls for united Europe
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Gorbachev also warned against sanctions
Putin's remarks came as Russian and European officials tried to
curb escalating tensions over Georgia on Friday as diplomats on
both sides spoke out against sanctions.
Sanctions are among measure set to be discussed at an emergency
session Monday of European Union leaders furious over Moscow's slow
withdrawal of troops form Georgia. Russia, meanwhile, accused the
Western powers of a build-up of warships in the Black Sea.
Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev called on Russia and the
West to curb their animosities and "stop" a Cold War arms
stockpiling scenario.
"Stop, stop and again stop! It is necessary to do everything to
stop this escalation, or soon the soon Black Sea will overflow its
shores with foreign warships," Gorbachev was quoted by news agency
Interfax as saying.
"There is no need to simplify the conflict. It is serious,
difficult -- but it's as important as ever to think about how to
live in Europe, how to build a united Europe," Gorbachev said.
Concerns over oil supply
EU diplomats expressed worries that Russia might use its control
over oil supplies as a political tool, such as in the past when it
once cut off the flow of oil to the Ukraine in a pricing dispute.
The British paper
The Daily Telegraph
said that an unnamed government official had warned clients to
prepare for a possible cut-off in shipments to Poland and Germany.
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Some in the West are concerned tension with Russia could affect
their oil supply
But such fears were denied on both ends with Russia's energy
minister promising "everything would be done" to ensure stable
delivery and Germany saying they saw no disruption in supplies.
Moscow's ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov urged against
sanctions Friday.
"I won't bet on it, but, at least, I hope that European leaders
will be able to rise above their emotions and seriously take stock
of the perspective of a strategic partnership with Russia," Chizhov
was quoted by news agency Interfax as saying in Brussels on Friday.
Gorbachev highlighted the importance to the EU of stable relations
with Russia, its largest neighbor and energy supplier.
"Sooner or later -- Monday or later -- they will be forced to ask
themselves whether the current cooling of relations with Russia is
too big a price to pay for supporting the actions of the Georgian
leadership," he was quoted as saying.
EU to send Russia a message
Spain showed Friday it was not keen on retaliatory measures against
Russia. Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said it was not the
time for sanctions, but for dialogue.
Spain and other EU members expected Monday's European Union summit
to adopt no sanctions, but to send Russia a message of firmness and
unity, making it clear that Russia's relations with Europe come
under close scrutiny, according to diplomatic sources.
(Deutsche Welle)
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