Last week, some European Union members talked of levying sanctions on Moscow. On Monday evening in Brussels, however, German and French-style diplomacy won out. French President Nicolas Sarkozy was visibly relaxed when he appeared before the press in the Justus Lipsius building, headquarters of the European Council, in Brussels. But before he addressed the issue at hand -- namely the ongoing Georgia-Russia crisis -- he held a quick history lesson. The EU, he pointed out, had held an extraordinary summit once before. It was February 2003, just before the beginning of the Iraq War. It was a time of disunity, Sarkozy said. "We weren't listened to." Sarkozy was referring to "we Europeans." Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel were intent on diplomacy in Brussels on Monday. It was an historical comparison that was meant to put Sarkozy, who currently holds the rotating EU presidency, in a positive light. Every summit has to somehow be seen as a success and now, five and a half years after the last extraordinary summit, the EU wants above all to demonstrate unity. That is the message sent on Monday night by the 27 European leaders gathered in Brussels. Sarkozy spoke of a "great readiness for unity despite varying sensitivities." Not long later, German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed her French counterpart, saying the EU was sending a "signal of unity and resolve." The two leaders were referring to the 11-point declaration passed by the European Council on Monday evening. Despite differences among the 27 EU member-states, the bloc was able to agree on a document that once again emphasized the territorial integrity of Georgia and referred to Russia's reaction as being "disproportionate."
Last week, some European Union members talked of levying sanctions on Moscow. On Monday evening in Brussels, however, German and French-style diplomacy won out.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was visibly relaxed when he appeared before the press in the Justus Lipsius building, headquarters of the European Council, in Brussels. But before he addressed the issue at hand -- namely the ongoing Georgia-Russia crisis -- he held a quick history lesson. The EU, he pointed out, had held an extraordinary summit once before. It was February 2003, just before the beginning of the Iraq War. It was a time of disunity, Sarkozy said. "We weren't listened to." Sarkozy was referring to "we Europeans."
Nicolas Sarkozy and Angela Merkel were intent on diplomacy in Brussels on Monday. It was an historical comparison that was meant to put Sarkozy, who currently holds the rotating EU presidency, in a positive light. Every summit has to somehow be seen as a success and now, five and a half years after the last extraordinary summit, the EU wants above all to demonstrate unity. That is the message sent on Monday night by the 27 European leaders gathered in Brussels.
Sarkozy spoke of a "great readiness for unity despite varying sensitivities." Not long later, German Chancellor Angela Merkel echoed her French counterpart, saying the EU was sending a "signal of unity and resolve."
The two leaders were referring to the 11-point declaration passed by the European Council on Monday evening. Despite differences among the 27 EU member-states, the bloc was able to agree on a document that once again emphasized the territorial integrity of Georgia and referred to Russia's reaction as being "disproportionate."
'Stop! Or We'll Say Stop Again!' FROM TODAY'S WALL STREET JOURNAL EUROPE With apologies to comedian Robin Williams, that's the line that comes to mind when weighing the European Union's declaration yesterday on Russia's continued occupation of Georgia. At a special meeting in Brussels, EU national leaders told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to abide by the terms of a French-brokered cease-fire, including a pullback of Russian troops to their preconflict positions. If he doesn't do so, they warned, they will hold another meeting. That's all.
With apologies to comedian Robin Williams, that's the line that comes to mind when weighing the European Union's declaration yesterday on Russia's continued occupation of Georgia.
At a special meeting in Brussels, EU national leaders told Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to abide by the terms of a French-brokered cease-fire, including a pullback of Russian troops to their preconflict positions. If he doesn't do so, they warned, they will hold another meeting.
That's all.
I read somewhere that the EU accepted to include the word "disproportionate" at Poland's request, but put it after "reaction", thus suggesting that it accepted the notion that Georia had started it... In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
