Posted on 08/10/2008 12:58:54 PM PDT by lizol
Russia's neighbours put on edge by war threat
(AFP)
10 August 2008
WARSAW - The conflict between Georgia and Russia has stunned eastern European nations who can still feel the scars of their domination by the former Soviet Union.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland called on the European Union and NATO to oppose Russia's "imperialist" policy towards Georgia.
And even countries such as Sweden, which was not part of the Soviet bloc, expressed extreme concern at the conflict, making comparisons to Adolf Hitler's tactics as leader of Nazi Germany.
Russia has in turn been vocal in criticising neighbours such as Ukraine, which it accused of "encouraging" Georgia to attack the separatist region of South Ossetia.
"The EU and NATO must take the initiative and stand up against the spread of imperialist and revisionist policy in the east of Europe," the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland said in a joint statement.
The four said they "strongly condemn" Russia's actions over South Ossetia, which is recognised internationally as part of Georgia, but where the separatist government gets strong backing from Moscow.
The four former members of the Soviet bloc said that following Russia's "unilateral" military action they would use "all means available to us as presidents to ensure that aggression against a small country in Europe will not be passed over in silence."
"The Russian Federation has overstepped a red-line in keeping the peace and stability in the conflict zone and in protecting Russian citizens outside its own borders."
Poland has demanded the European Union hold an emergency summit on the Russia-Georgia crisis, a request which EU leaders are now considering. EU foreign ministers are to meet to discuss the crisis early in the week.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said: "The territorial integrity of Georgia is currently being violated on an enormous scale."
"There are bombardments, civilians are dying, foreign military forces are on Georgian territory."
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt has also called for a "very strong response on the part of the European Union," Sweden's TT news agency reported.
"No state has the right to intervene militarily in the territory of another state simply because there are individuals there with a passport issued by that state or who are nationals of the state," Bildt said in a statement.
"Attempts to apply such a doctrine have plunged Europe into war in the past... And we have reason to remember how Hitler used this very doctrine little more than half a century ago to undermine and attack substantial parts of central Europe," Bildt said.
Estonia also expressed concern at Russia's justification that it was acting to protect Russians in South Ossetia.
"When military aggression is justified with the need to protect the interests of Russian citizens in Georgia, it causes a serious concern for states that have residents with Russian citizenship," Foreign Minister Urmas Paet said in a statement.
"Once again Russia has shown it can not fit to the peacekeeping role in that region," Paet added.
Estonia called on UN Security Council, EU and other international organisations to take urgent action "to end the aggression of Russia against Georgia and to avoid the escalation of the conflict to the neighboring regions."
Poland, the biggest of the former Soviet bloc nations in the European Union, has been a strong supporter of Georgia's ambitions to join the EU and NATO.
Ukraine, another close ally of Georgia, has called on Russia to withdraw its troops from Georgian territory and said it was ready to act as a mediator between the two sides.
But Russia on Saturday accused Ukraine of "encouraging" Georgia to launch its military offensive in South Ossetia.
"The Ukrainian state has in recent times actively armed Georgian troops, encouraging Georgian leaders to proceed with an intervention and ethnic purges in South Ossetia," the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine "has no moral right to give sermons to others and above all to pretend it has a settlement role" in the conflict, said the ministry statement.
Do you have a link to that?
My advice to all Eastern European states — including Ukraine, Romania and the wonderfully prosperous Baltics:
DO NOT COUNT ON WESTERN EUROPE.
Develop an independent nuclear arsenal — stat.
Cool.
Read history. Your example is meaningless. Actually with your mentality Russia can legitimately claim sovereignty over South Ossesia as it was annexed by Russian in the 19th century. That’s realpolitic.
A "very strong response"...like what?
buuuuuuuuuuuummmmmmmp !!
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