Nato and Moscow in war of words after Russian envoys expelled

Times Online (U.K.) ^ | May 1, 2009 | Tony Halpin

[Schnucki]

Nato and Russia traded accusations yesterday after the alliance accused Moscow of breaking the peace agreement that ended the war with Georgia, a day after it expelled two Russian diplomats in a spying row.

At a ceremony in the Kremlin yesterday Russia assumed formal control of the borders of Abkhazia and South Ossetia in agreements signed by President Medvedev with the leaders of Georgia’s two breakaway regions. The signing elicited a sharp response from Nato, which said that the treaties were in “clear contravention” of the ceasefire brokered by President Sarkozy of France to end the war between Russia and Georgia last August.

In return, the Russian leader lashed out at Nato exercises due to start in Georgia next week, calling them “an open provocation”. He said: “All responsibility for possible negative consequences will lie with the people undertaking the relevant steps.”

Relations were soured further as Moscow threatened “harsh and decisive” retaliation against Nato’s decision to expel two Russian diplomats in connection with a spying operation uncovered in Estonia. One of the men was Vassili Chizhov, the son of the Russian Ambassador to the European Union; Viktor Kushakov, Russia’s chief counsellor to Nato, was the other man ordered to leave the Russian mission in Brussels.

The expulsions were linked to the case of Herman Simm, an Estonian Defence Ministry official jailed for 12 years in February for passing secrets to the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.

The Foreign Ministry in Moscow called the expulsions “a gross provocation . . . on an absolutely invented pretext”. Dmitri Rogozin, the Russian Ambassador to Nato, said that they “cannot go without answer”.

Mr Medvedev signed the defence agreements with Abkhazia and South Ossetia a day after Nato resumed formal contacts with Russia at ambassadorial level through the Nato-Russia Council. The alliance suspended the

[GeronL]

This might be the test.

Russia takes the Sudetenlands from Georgia and if the west acts nice and does nothing they might go for Poland... I mean Ukraine.

I hope President “peace in our time” gets a heads up out of his rear

[JoeDetweiler]

I guess this is what Hillary meant by “resetting” our relations. Given that it was her husband who originally chose to humiliate the Russians at Pristina, thus leading to the election of Mr Putin; none of this should be surprising.

[ozzymandus]

Good ol’ Russkis enjoying the thug life.