Godlike Productions - News: EU Leaders Send Sarkozy To Begin Talks With Russia

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

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EU Leaders Send Sarkozy To Begin Talks With Russia

Wall Street Journal

2008-09-08

French President Nicolas Sarkozy heads to Moscow on Monday in an attempt to persuade the Kremlin to fully implement a month-old cease-fire agreement between Russia and Georgia.

Although fighting on the ground has stopped, Russia has recognized the independence of Abkhazia and South Ossetia and stationed troops in the Georgian separatist territories. The European Union wants Russia to back away from what it regards as a unilateral redrawing of borders.

Yet the EU has few diplomatic levers on hand. When they met in Brussels on Sept. 1, the EU's 27 heads of state and government condemned Russia's actions, but stopped short of adopting concrete sanctions against Moscow. Some EU officials have acknowledged that taking too hard a line against Russia, a key supplier of oil and natural gas to Europe, would be counterproductive.

EU leaders asked Mr. Sarkozy, who helped broker the cease-fire between Russia and Georgia four weeks ago, to pursue talks with the Kremlin. On Monday, the French president, who also plans to stop in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, will travel with EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso and the EU's chief diplomat Javier Solana.

The troika hopes to persuade Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to make good on three pledges, according to French diplomats: complete the withdrawal of Russian troops, accept the presence of EU observers in Abkhazia and South Ossetia and set a date to begin talks on "security and stability" in the two separatist territories.

But the EU's requests may fall on deaf ears. Russia insists it is abiding by the terms of the cease-fire deal signed in August.

Fighting erupted early in August when Georgia tried to regain military control of South Ossetia. Russia struck back instantly, sending tanks and troops into Georgian territory.

While the EU aims to continue dialogue with Russia, the U.S. has adopted a more belligerent tone toward the Kremlin.

On Saturday in Italy, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said Russia's "brutality" against its southern neighbor was unacceptable.

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