EU/Russia/Georgia

Russian newspapers claim victory as EU dodges economic sanctions

Article published on the 2008-09-02 Latest update 2008-09-02 10:32 TU

Sarkozy at a press conference after the EU summit
(Photo: Reuters)

Russian newspapers on Tuesday claimed that the result of Monday's European Union summit was "a victory for Russian diplomacy", after EU leaders ignored calls to slap economic sanctions on Moscow over its military presence in Georgia. The summit froze talks with Moscow on closer ties and French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to head a delegation to the Russian capital next Monday.

"The intention to freeze talks about a new partnership agreement is a cause for regret," said a statement from the Russian Foreign Minstry.

But several Russian newspapers were exultant about the summit's failure to enforce economic sanctions.

The EU has not "given in to the hysterics" of Russia's sternest critics, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Polish President Lech Kaczynski, said the tabloid Tvoi Den.

Government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta declared the outcome a "victory for the proponents of dialogue with Moscow", pointing out that many European countries imports of Russian oil and gas "left no alternative to developing close bilateral relations".

Sarkozy declared  that the crisis "means that we have to re-examine our relationship with Russia".

With France holding the rotating EU presidency, he is to head a mission to Moscow and Tbilisi next Monday, along with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

China on Tuesday called for the crisis to be resolved by dialogue, while a Foreign Ministry official refused to  say whether Beijing supports the separation of the disputed territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov left for talks in Turkey on Tuesday, after Georgian Foreign Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili went there on Sunday.

US-based NGO Human Rights Watch says that both Georgia and Russia used cluster bombs during the recent conflict. Neither country was a signatory to an international ban on the use of the weapons signed in Ireland in May.