The greatest fear of US foreign policy is the rise of a Eurasian power that could challenge US supremacy. Already the cooperations between China & Russia is beginning to make that fear a reality. As a countermeasure, the US is doing everything it can to prevent closer ties between Russia and Western Europe. It seems the US is achieving some success in this area. See also: 07 Oct 2005 Neoliberalism : Merkel : attempted regime change? http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/?id=673&batch=16&lists=newslog rkm -------------------------------------------------------- Original source URL: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051007G.shtml Go to Original The Russia-Europe Chill Le Monde | Editorial Wednesday 09 May 2007 Several days before the semiannual summit between the European Union and Russia, which will be held May 17 and 18 in Samara (along the banks of the Volga), tensions have never been so intense since the fall of the Berlin Wall. The list of contentious subjects lengthens, and the tone of the statements emanating from Moscow is ever less amenable. The first signs of cooling appeared at the beginning of 2006, when the Russians, in order to pressure Ukraine, closed the natural gas pipelines that cross that country, striking several clients in Western Europe. At the same time, Russia closed its borders to Polish meat: the pretext was hygiene, but in reality, it was a matter of punishing Warsaw for its support of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine and of the democratic movement in Belarus. Under these conditions, it is difficult for the European Union to support Russia's candidacy for the WTO, the credo of which is free trade. The decisions by Poland and the Czech Republic to welcome elements of the American anti-missile shield on their territories has done nothing to make things easier. After a speech that was very Cold War in its tone, at the beginning of the year in Munich, Vladimir Putin threatened to withdraw from the two arms-limitation treaties that hallow the disappearance of blocs in Europe. The conflict in recent days between Estonia and Russia over the transfer of a statue of a Soviet soldier from the center of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, to a cemetery on its outskirts has poisoned relations with the entire European Union still further, despite Brussels' moderate reaction. These are not just simple squabbles, but the consequences of the 2004 entry into the European Union of countries from Central and Eastern Europe, especially the Baltic States. Whatever they say, the Russians have never really accepted those entries. As for the countries in question, they bring into the Union an experience of relations with Moscow marked by over a half-century of domination. That sensitivity, which Western Europeans do not share, makes the new entrants more leery - or less naive - with respect to Russia's intentions. Meanwhile, as the EU and Moscow are supposed to negotiate the renewal of their association agreement, or even a strategic partnership, the "friends" on whom Mr. Putin used to be able to count are leaving power one after another. Angela Merkel does not have Gerhard Schroeder's admiration for this "pure sugar democrat," and Nicolas Sarkozy has promised not to follow Jacques Chirac's example with respect to personal relations with the Kremlin chief. The German chancellor and new French president do not underestimate Russia's weight in the world, but they have decided not to allow themselves to be intimidated. -- -------------------------------------------------------- Posting archives: http://cyberjournal.org/show_archives/ Escaping the Matrix website: http://escapingthematrix.org/ cyberjournal website: http://cyberjournal.org Community Democracy Framework: http://cyberjournal.org/DemocracyFramework.html Subscribe cyberjournal list: •••@••.••• (send blank message) cyberjournal blog (join in): http://cyberjournal-rkm.blogspot.com/ Moderator: •••@••.••• (comments welcome)
